Bleeding Heart
by AudreyDarke96
Summary: When Audrey wakes up in transition she has an important choice to make;either feed or die because there is no door number three, or is there? Plus with the Council now hot on the trail of every vampire in town, everyone better watch their backs or there could be deadly consequences. Damon/ OC.Please read and review.
1. Growing Pains

**_Authors Note_**

**_First, I would like to congratulate grapejuice101 for winning the title contest and I would also like to thank everyone that entered. You all had amazing titles, it was so hard to choose. Secondly, we finally made it guys! After five long months of waiting we made it to the fourth season of The Vampire Diaries and this season sure started out with a bang. Now here I am, starting my fourth story and I am so excited to see where this season takes us. For those who read my last story Love Is So Poisonous just remember that anything I wrote after The Departed was AU and that this story begins where the show does. Well I'll stop my yapping so you guys can get onto the chapter. Without further ado, I give you Bleeding Heart._**

**_disclaimer I don't own the Vampire Diaries, I only own Audrey and anything else you don't recognize _**

**Chapter One- Growing Pains**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I woke up with a gasp and found that I was in my room, laying on my bed. I sat up as I felt the bed shift under me and I looked up to see that Damon was sitting at the foot of the bed, leaning towards me.

" Damon?"

" I'm right here." Damon said calmly, " You've been in and out for hours."

" You're alive." I said with a smile before wrapping my arms around him. I let him go before kissing him but he didn't kiss me back. I pulled back and I could tell by the look on his face that something was wrong, " What is it? What happened?"

" You were in an accident." I heard someone say and I looked over by the window to see Stefan

" Oh, my God." I said, looking back at Damon as my memories began to come back , " Matt, is he…"

" Alive?" Damon finished my question in an angry tone, " Ask Stefan, the hero."

" He's fine." Stefan told me

" Thank you." I said with a sigh of relief, " I thought that I…How did you…"

" Save you?" Damon said, " He didn't."

" What?" I asked Damon

" When Jeremy brought you to the hospital before all of this happened, your injuries were worse than anyone knew." Damon explained, " Meredith made a choice. She used my blood to heal you. And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the bridge you had vampire blood in your system, Audrey."

" Oh, my God." I said, " Does that mean that I…Am I dead?" Neither brother said a word, " No. No, no, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!"

" Maybe it doesn't have to." Stefan said from across the room, " I talked to Bonnie. She said she's stronger than ever. There might be something that she can do to help you."

"No, the only thing that is going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition." Damon told me

" We have all day until she has to feed, Damon." Stefan said to his brother, " That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this."

" There is no way out of it." Damon snapped, " We all know the drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three."

" I was ready to die." I said as tears began to fall down my face, " I was supposed to die. I don't want-I can't be a vampire. If there's something Bonnie can do than we have to try."

" We will." Stefan said as Damon remained silent, " We'll try everything."

" It's your choice, Audrey." Damon said angrily, " As always."

Without another word, Damon got off the bed and walked out of the room with Stefan right behind him.

* * *

After Damon and Stefan had gone downstairs I got out of my bed and went to stand in front of the big mirror hanging on the wall. My head was pounding, my gums hurt, and on top of everything I could hear this high-pitched buzzing sound coming from my lamp. I looked at my teeth in the mirror but they looked the same as before. The pain in my head got worse as the buzzing noise continued. As I looked at the lamp something caught my eye and I looked up to see Jeremy and Elena standing by the door.

" Jer, Elena." I said before running over to them and hugging them both

" Are you okay?" Jeremy asked, " I watched Vicki go through this." As he was talking I could still her the buzzing and I turned to look back at the lamp, " She was a mess. Her emotions were all over the place. All of these old memories came flooding back."

" I'm fine." I assured him, turning to face him and Elena again, " I'm not Vicki."

" No, you're not. You're you." Elena began, " You act okay so no one worries about you, but you need help."

" I said I'm fine, okay?" I snapped and her, " I'm sorry. Have either of you talked to Bonnie?"

" Yeah." Jeremy said, " She said when I was shot, she made some plea to the witch spirits to bring me back. And they listened."

" Yeah but the consequences were horrible." I reminded him

" And what could be more horrible than you turning into a vampire?" Elena asked

" We need our cousin, Audrey." Jeremy said, "Not another one of them."

" We're going to find away out of this." I told them, " Everything's going to be okay."

" I hope so." Jeremy said before he and Elena walked out of the room

As soon as they were gone the buzzing from the lamp got louder. I walked over to the lamp, pulled off the shade and crushed the light bulb with my hand, which finally stopped the buzzing.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" Audrey doesn't want to be a vampire." Matt said to Caroline while the two were standing in his hospital room

" She doesn't want to be dead and she's not. This isn't your fault, Matt." Caroline told her friend

" This is all my fault." Matt snapped, " I was driving. I was saved. She's a vampire because of me."

" Shh! Cool it on the 'V' word." Caroline said quietly, " I'm a fugitive, remember? I'm supposed to be halfway to Florida by now."

" If the councils after you then why are you here?" Matt asked the blond

" Because I don't know where to go." Caroline said sadly, beginning to cry, " Tyler's dead, and everything's different now."

Matt wrapped his arms around Caroline, trying to comfort her. As they were hugging Caroline hear someone coming towards the room and used her vampire speed to get out of the room. Suddenly a man burst through the door and looked around the room only to find Matt.

" Can I help you?" Matt asked the man

" Sorry." The man said before looking around the room one more time, " All good here." he said into a walkie-talkie as he left

* * *

After leaving the hospital, Caroline went back to her house to grab some things before she hit the road. As she was walking towards the front door, her phone began to ring and she quickly answered it.

" Mom! Hey." Care answered

" Caroline, where are you?" Liz asked her daughter, " And tell me it's far away"

" Where am I? Good question." Caroline said as she walked out the front door, " Uh, just a whole lot of boring highways. Why? Is everything okay?"

As she turned around to lock the door, Caroline was ambushed by one of the council members who stuck a syringe full of vervain in her neck.

" Caroline, what's going on?!" Liz yelled over the phone

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

Stefan, Aurora, and I sat around the kitchen table. I picked up a sandwich that Stefan had made me ,took a bite of it and found it to be the worst this that I had ever eaten.

" It's disgusting." Stefan said, seeing the look on my face

" No." I lied, trying to spare his feeling, " It's um…"

"It's disgusting." Aurora said

" Yeah, I'm gonna puke." I told them before spitting the sandwich out into a napkin, " I never thought I'd be saying this, but I can't stop thinking about blood. Along with some really inappropriate things about Damon."

"I should have saved you first." Stefan said, " You shouldn't be going through with this right now."

" In all reality she probably would be thinking dirty things about Damon anyway." Aurora said, earning a look from Stefan, " Okay, I'll be quiet now."

" If you had saved me, then Matt would be dead." I said to Stefan as he grabbed a drink, "What do you think I would be going I'd be going through then? Stefan, listen to me. You did the right thing." I told Stefan as I got out of my seat, " You did what you always do; you respected my choice."

" And what am I supposed to do if Bonnie can't figure out a way to help you, huh?" Stefan said angrily, " Because then you have another choice to make. Either let yourself die or be a vampire."

" Well, then we'll cross that bridge when we come to it." I said seriously. I was silent for a minute before I started to laugh, " Oh my God, did-did I just say 'cross that bridge'?"

" You laughing." Aurora said coming over to me, " I pretty sure you don't actually think that's funny."

" I can't stop though." I told them as I began to laugh harder

" Your emotions are a bit heightened today." Stefan said, then taking in my laughter, "A lot heightened."

I continued to laugh but at some point I began crying. As I was crying, Aurora wrapped her arms around me.

" Hey. It's okay." Aurora said, trying to calm me down, " It's okay."

" I'm sorry." I said as Aurora pulled away

"Listen to me." Stefan said, " No mater what happened, we're here for you. We can help you."

I nodded before I looked out the window, squinting my eyes because the sun was so bright.

" Why don't you back upstairs where it's dark?" Aurora suggested, " We'll clean up."

I began to walk away, holding my hand up to block the sun. I headed up to my room and when I walked into my room I saw Damon sitting by my window.

" Damon, I thought you left?" I said

" Cute PJ's." Damon told me, causing me to look down at the t-shirt and jeans that I was wearing

" I'm tired, Damon." I heard myself say and I looked over towards the bathroom to see myself standing there in pajamas. It was then that I realized this was an old memory from the night after I had been kidnapped by Rose.

Damon stood up and walked over to my pajama clad self before holding up the vervain filled necklace Stefan had giving me two years ago.

" I brought you this." Damon said

" I thought that was gone." the other version of myself said, " Thank you."

I tried to take the necklace from Damon but he pulled it back. Suddenly the memory stopped and Damon and I disappeared. I looked around the room and when I turned back to where I was looking before, the memory continued.

" I just have one thing to say." Damon told me, still holing my necklace

" Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" I asked him

" Because what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life." Damon said

"Damon, don't go there." the memory version of myself warned him

"No, I just have to say it once." he said, getting closer, " You just need to hear it. I love you, Audrey. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. And why you can't know this. I don't deserve you. You deserve some far better than me."

Then he leaned in and kissed my forehead.

"God, I wish you didn't have to forget this." Damon said, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, "But you do."

This time the memory disappeared for good as I touched my neck where the necklace used to be.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Rebekah is standing in the Mikaelson Mansion, looking down at an old picture that Klaus had drawn. As she continued to look at them a few tears began streaming down her face. Suddenly she drops the picture and angrily throws the rest of the pictures off the table. Rebekah quickly wipes the tears away as she hears Damon come up behind her.

" You should know better than to sneak up on a lady." Rebekah told him

" Good advice." Damon said, " Have you seen one?"

" Tragic about Audrey." Rebekah said as she turned to look at Damon, " Not to make a grey cloud greyer, but does Matt even have automobile insurance."

Rebekah turns back to the now empty table and Damon immediately ran at her holding the white oak stake. Rebekah grabbed his wrist just in time to save herself before pushing him back into a dresser, causing Damon to drop the stake. All of a sudden, someone shoot off wooden bullets, effectively hitting Rebekah in the back. Damon got up and ran out of the house while Rebekah was shot again. She turned to look where the bullets were coming from but before she could find the shooter, she was shoot in the heart with a wooden arrow. Rebekah begins to turn gray before she fell to the ground, temporarily dead.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I was standing in my room, looking at a picture of me, my mom, and my dad when I heard a crash downstairs.

" Aurora? Stefan?" I said as I walked down the stairs

" Audrey, don't move." Aurora said and I looked up to see her and Stefan surrounded by police officers and Pastor Young.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Damon was standing in the Gilbert house, picking up things that were knocked over when the Pastor and his goons took Stefan, Audrey, and Aurora, when Liz Forbes enters the house.

" They're gone." Damon informed her, " Whoever nailed Rebekah took them too. Please tell me you have something. Anything."

As the two are talking, Meredith walks out of the kitchen and into the living room

" I can't." Liz said, " The council locked Carol and me out of our offices. Files, computers, everything."

" So the Mayor and the Sheriff never contemplated a backup plan, Liz?" Damon snapped

" Damon, relax." Meredith said to him before turning to Liz, " When Caroline called to say she got away; did she know where they were planning to take her?"

" No." Liz replied, " Just that she was in some van in the middle of nowhere and she managed to escape."

" Perfect." Damon said sarcastically, "We've narrowed it down to nowhere."

The trio stopped their conversation when they heard a knock on the door. They look over at the door to see Matt walk in.

" Hey, is Audrey here?" he asked

Suddenly Damon ran at Matt, grabs him by the throat, and pushed him against a wall.

" In what world are you the one that gets to live?" Damon asked him angrily

"Damon, stop! It wasn't his fault." Meredith yelled as she tried to pull Damon off of Matt

" Let him go, Damon." Liz ordered him, " Now."

Damon finally let go of Matt and backed away as Matt tried to get his breathing back to normal.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I sat at the table of a small house, biting my fingernails, as Pastor Young turned the gas stove on.

" Do you still want to chef?" Pastor Young asked me, " I remember how you would always make some elaborate dinner for my daughter when you'd baby sit. She still loves to cook because of you."

" Why did you bring me here?" I asked him

" My deputies can watch out for us here." Pastor Young explained, " No vampires have been invited in. Look, Audrey, I know it sounds crazy, but years ago it was your parents who were advocating having an emergency plan like this. I never thought we'd actually have to use it."

As he was talking I could her the ticking of the clock across the room and it was even more obnoxious than the buzzing of the lamp. It took every one of restraint I had to not grab the clock and throw it at the wall.

" Audrey?" The Pastor said, " Audrey, are you okay?"

" Where are Stefan and Aurora?" I asked him, composing myself

" They would never hurt me." I told him, " You have no idea what you're talking about."

" Well, I know that wherever you go, Salvatore vampires, usually Damon, seem to follow." Pastor Young said, " You hungry."

" No." I replied sharply

" So, we'll hold Stefan until Damon comes looking for you two." Pastor Young as he began to cook something, " We'll use Rebekah to lure her siblings back into town. You'll give us the white oak stake then we will exterminate the entire vampire race for good."

Then Pastor Young put a giant steak in front of me, I looked down at it and began to breathe heavily.

" Is something wrong? Are you okay, Audrey?"

I looked up at Pastor Young's neck.

" Yeah." I lied as I heard his heartbeat loudly along with the ticking of the clock

" No, I've got to get out of here." I said before getting up and running out of the house

As soon as I got outside the sun blinded me and I tried to shield my eyes and I continued to run.

" Get her." I hear Pastor Young say but I keep running

I stopped when I saw a man standing in front of me and before I could go around him he hit me in the face with the back of a rifle, knocking me out.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Caroline and Tyler, who was still being controlled by Klaus, were running through the woods after they had just escaped from the Council. Much to Klaus's surprise, Caroline slammed him into a nearby tree and started to make out with him.

" I never thought I'd see you again." Caroline said, when she wasn't busy kissing him, " I don't get it. How are you alive?"

" This is going to sound incredible, but I..." Klaus tried to explain ,but Caroline kissed him again before he could finish, " But..."

Klaus gave up on trying to explain and decided to just go along with the moment. Caroline pushed him up against another tree and continued to kiss Kyler as she helped him take off his jacket and shirt.

" Easy love." Klaus said, " Wrong time, wrong place, wrong equipment."

" But you're miraculously alive." Caroline said, " We're fugitives on the run. All signs point to hot hybrid sex."

Caroline begins to kiss Klaus again, this time removing her own jacket and shirt. After a few moments she stopped and pulled back.

" Did you just call me love?" she asked Klaus

" I don't know, love?" Klaus said with a smirk, " Did I?"

" What the hell did you do to Tyler?!" Caroline asked, pushing away from Klaus

" That's what I enjoy about you." Klaus said, " So much more than a pretty face."

" Oh my God, Klaus. You're disgusting."

" And you're a glorious kisser." Tyler said, earning a slap across the face from Caroline, " Listen, I didn't have to risk exposer to save you."

"Oh, you do one semi-decent thing and now you're my hero?" Caroline said, putting her shirt back on, "Oh, I need to go sanitize my mouth!"

"Your mouth was all over me. I was an innocent victim." Klaus said

" Put Tyler back!" Caroline told Klaus

"Gladly. Then maybe I'll take you up on your offer of hot hybrid sex." Klaus said before attempting to walk away

" That's never going to happen, Klaus." Caroline said, stopping Klaus, " Especially after what happened to Audrey."

" I'm not the one to blame." Klaus said, facing Caroline again

" Yes, you are." Caroline said, " You could have just left her alone and none of this would have happened."

" Just collateral damage, love." told her before walking away

* * *

Bonnie, Elena, and Jeremy are in the basement of the old witch house, Bonnie chanting some spell while Elena and Jeremy pace back and forth.

" The spirits aren't listening." Bonnie told the siblings when she finished chanting

" Was that it?" Elena asked her friend, " Is that all we can do?"

" There's something else I could try." Bonnie said

" What? Do it." Jeremy said

" If the witches won't help me save Audrey, then maybe I can go to the Other Side and get her myself." Bonnie said, getting to her feet

" The Other Side?" Elena said, " The Other Side is for dead people."

" She's still in transition." Bonnie began to explain, " Not fully dead, not fully alive. Maybe her spirit still exists on both sides."

" Even if it does, how can you get there?" Jeremy questioned the which, " You're not dead."

Bonnie didn't say anything and Jeremy and Elena realize what she means.

" No!" Jeremy said, " No, Bonnie."

" I was able to stop your heart to stop Klaus'; I'll do the same thing to myself. Witches have free reign on the Other Side. I will find Audrey and I will bring her back with me."

" Assuming you wake up!" Elena snapped

" I'm stronger now." Bonnie argues, " I found a new source of power."

" A new source of power?! What kind of power is going to let you kill yourself and bring someone back with you from the dead."

" Do you want Audrey back or not?" Bonnie snapped and neither Gilbert said a word

* * *

" With your vervain and Alaric's weapons; they could be anywhere." Liz said to Damon, back at the Gilbert house

" Come on guys, think." Damon said, " It takes a lot to hold a vampire. Reinforced steel, iron doors."

" The Pastor has a cattle ranch." Matt remembers and all eyes are on him, " Those pens could easily be modified."

" It's remote, it's secluded." Meredith adds

" Well, guess what?" Damon says to Matt, " Looks like you get a chance to prove how sorry you really are. Lets go."

With that, Damon and Matt leave the house.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

When I came to. I looked around and saw that I was in some kind of cage. I sat up, holding my head which was pounding again.

" I thought I killed you." Rebekah said from the cage across from me

" Where am I?" I asked

" They thought you were a vampire so they stuck you in here with us." Rebekah said in her usual bitchy tone

" Where are Aurora and Stefan?" I asked her

" Over her." I heard Aurora say from the cage to my right

" Audrey, I'm right here." Stefan said from my left

" Are you okay?" Aurora asked me

" I didn't feed." I told her

" Ahh, I see what's going on her." Rebekah started, " You died with vampire blood in your system and you didn't feed and now you're locked up in here without a single drop of human blood in sight. That is a problem."

" Just ignore her." Stefan told me

"Has anyone done the math or shall I? I'd say that you've got less than three hours to feed before I get to watch you die all over again."

I tried to break through the bars but I was way to weak. After a minute or so I just gave up.

" My day just got a whole lot better."

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Bonnie and Jeremy are sitting on the floor, hand in hand, as Bonnie started chanting a different spell. Elena is standing next to them when they begin to hear the witches spirits whispering. Jeremy and Elena looked at Bonnie to see her nose bleeding.

" Oh my God." Elena said as Bonnie continued her spell

" Bonnie. Bonnie, open your eyes." Jeremy begged her but she didn't listen to him, " Bonnie, we can't let you do this! Bonnie, you're dying!"

Bonnie's chanting got louder as black veins began to appear on her arms.

" What the hell is that?" Elena asked her brother

Bonnie starts hyperventilating before falling to the ground. Jeremy ran to her and checked her pulse but she has none.

" Bonnie, no!" Elena yelled, " Bonnie! Bonnie, wake up! Bonnie! Wake up!"

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" Audrey." I hear someone say and I slowly look up to see Bonnie

" Bonnie?" I ask her in confusion, " What are you doing here?"

" You can see me?" Bonnie asked in shock ,kneeling down in front of me

" Yeah." I told her

" I think your friend has lost it." Rebekah said to Stefan and Aurora, " She's talking to herself."

Bonnie takes my hands in hers and pulls me to my feet.

" Aurora, something's happening." I called out to Aurora

" We're going home." Bonnie told me

" No!" someone said from behind me, causing Bonnie to let go of me and I fell to the ground, too weak to stand.

I turned to look who was talking to see Ms. Shelia.

" Grams?" Bonnie asked, " What are you doing?"

" You can't be in here." Shelia told her, " You stay away from this sort of darkness."

" Audrey needs me." Bonnie said

In the blink of an eye Shelia was standing right in front of Bonnie.

" She is not your problem to solve." Shelia said angrily, " Now, go! Before they keep you here."

" Grams, please." Bonnie begged

" This magic is dark, Bonnie." Shelia told Bonnie, " It's not nature's plan. Touch it again and the spirits will unleash their anger in ways that will make you suffer. Stay away! Go!"

With that both witches disappeared.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" Bonnie, wake up!" Jeremy yelled at Bonnie's unmoving form, " Come on. Open your eyes."

Suddenly Bonnie's eyes open and she sits up.

"You're awake." Elena said from next to the witch, " You're alive."

" I couldn't do it." Bonnie told them, " It didn't work."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" What happened?" Aurora asked me after Bonnie and Me. Shelia had left

" It was Bonnie. She tried to save me but it's too late. I'm out of time." I told her, " I need blood. I'm dying."

Suddenly I heard Stefan get up and start yelling.

" Hey! Anyone, hey!"

" Will you shut up?!" Rebekah told him

" You think we're afraid of you?" Stefan continued as though Rebekah hadn't said anything

The door to the barn opened and an officer walked up to Stefan's cage.

" Do you want more vervain?" the officer asked, " Keep it down."

" Listen to me." Stefan said, " Audrey is going to die if you don't let her out of here."

" Sorry, not my problem." the officer told Stefan

" She's innocent. Let her out." Aurora piped up but the officer ignored both of them as he began to walk away

" Let her out!" Stefan yelled and the officer immediately turned around and shot him in the stomach.

" Stop!" I shouted

" I said, let her out." Stefan yelled again once he got back up but the officer just shoot him again, in the leg this time.

Stefan fell to the ground and this time he stayed down

* * *

" Audrey?" Aurora asked after the officer had left, " You still with me?"

" Yeah." I replied, taking a ragged breath before continuing, " Yeah, I here. I'm okay."

" No you're not. I can hear you breathing." Stefan said, " Damon was right , you should have fed this morning. I'm sorry."

" Don't be." I told him, " You had hope. That's all I wanted you guys to have. Although I do wish that I could have said goodbye to Damon."

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Damon and Matt pull up in front of the Pastors house and get out of the car.

" So, what, we just storm the place with zero weapons?" Matt asked

" Nah, we don't need weapons." Damon said, turning towards him, " Just bait."

Suddenly Damon runs to Matt and sinks his teeth into Matt's neck. After a few moments Damon drops Matt to the ground.

" Yoo-hoo!" Damon said, " Anybody home? Big bad vampire out here."

Pastor Young opens the front door and looks down at Matt, who is now on the ground bleeding and groaning in pain.

" Let him go." Pastor Young told Damon, " He's innocent."

" Well, that's the point. Give me Audrey and Stefan, he's all yours." Damon said, pulling Matt up, "Come on, Pastor. You know I'll kill him. I want to kill him."

" Go away!" the Pastor yelled, " You are not invited in and I'm not coming out."

Suddenly Damon is shot in the chest and he quickly falls to the ground.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

Sometime later I heard two officers walk into the barn.

" I got this." one of them said, "Bring the other one in."

Without saying anything the other officer leaves.

" Excuse me?" Rebekah said, " Hello, sir?"

" I thought I told you to shut up." the officer said, holding his loaded gun in his hand

" Here's the thing, my family we-we have money, castles, apartments, jewelry; just name your price and let me out." Rebekah told him

" I'd much rather watch you die." The officer said

Then Rebekah got up and ran towards the bars of the cage, freaking out the officer enough to make him fall back into the bars of Stefan's cage. Stefan grabbed the officer and slammed his head against the cage until he began to bleed before dropping the body in front of my cage.

" Audrey!" Stefan said

I looked down at the body and I could she the officers blood beginning to pool on the floor. I put my arm through an opening and the cage and tried to get to the blood but it was just out of reach. I kept trying until I finally got some of the blood on my fingertips. I pulled my arm back into the cage and licked the blood off my fingers.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Two officers walk up to Damon's body, pointing their guns at him. When the officers where standing right next to Damon, he jumped up and grabbed one of the officers guns. He stabs one of the officer in the chest with his own gun before breaking the neck of the other officer. Then Damon walked over to Matt and kicked him in the face.

" Go ahead and kill me." Matt choked out, " You can't possibly hate me more than I hate myself."

" Oh, yes I can." Damon told him, putting his foot on Matt's throat, choking him, " It should have been you."

All of a sudden, someone came out and pushed Damon off of Matt and to the ground. Damon looks up and see's Audrey hovering over him, the whites of her eyes now red and veins popping up underneath her eyes.

" Leave him alone!"

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" You were gonna kill him." I said to Damon as we walked back to his car

" Yep." Damon said, not even trying to deny it, " Guy just won't die."

" It was my choice to save him." I told Damon, " Why aren't you seeing that?"

" It's a little hard to keep track of all of your choices lately, Audrey." Damon said,

" What the hell is wrong with you, Damon?" I snapped, grabbing his arm

" What's wrong with me?" Damon asked turning to me, " I wasn't the one that was so willing to sacrifice herself to save the quarterback. You were just going to let yourself die. What about Elena, Jeremy, and Aurora? Were you even thinking about how they were going to take it?

" You and I both know that you don't give damn about them so what is it, Damon?"

" What about me, Audrey?" Damon snapped, " I love you so much and you were ready to die to save Matt. What was I supposed to do without you?"

" Damon…"

Damon shook his head as me before starting to walk away.

" I remember everything." I said, causing Damon to stop and turn back around, " One of the highlights of my transition. Remembering everything that you compelled me to forget. Like how you and I met first. You were a stranger that told me you wanted me to get everything I wanted from life. And I did, I got you."

In an instant Damon was standing right in front of me. He looked at me before bringing his lips down to mine. I wove my hands through his hair, bringing him closer to me. As we continued to kiss, we stumbled backwards until I was laying on the hood of Damon's car. Damon lips left mine, only to place kisses down my neck and collarbone and back up as I unbuttoned his shirt.

" Would you two get a room." Aurora said from beside us and we both pulled, me blushing and Damon smirking, " Seriously, you two are in a Pastor's front yard. Now make yourselves presentable before Matt and Stefan get out here."

" Okay, mom." I said sarcastically as Aurora walked to the side of the car

Aurora just rolled her eyes as she got in the back seat of Damon's car.

" I love you." I told Damon

" I love you, too." Damon said

I gave him a quick kiss before moving to sit in the passenger's seat.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Back at the Mikaelson Mansion, Klaus, now back in his own body, was packing blood bags full of Audrey's blood into a cooler when Rebekah walked in.

" How dare you save Caroline over me." Rebekah said, tears streaming down her face

" Hello brother." Klaus said, mocking Rebekah, " Thought you were dead. So pleased you're not."

" You left me!" She shouted

"I only had time to save one of you and you can't be killed." Klaus told her, "Rest assured, I had a worse day than you. I think it's time for us to move on; find some more werewolves."

"So you can create your hybrid family?" Rebekah asked, "You don't know anything about family!"

"Well, I know how easily they can be silenced with a dagger." Klaus warned her

Rebekah quickly grabbed one of the blood bags and threw it against the wall.

" No!" Klaus said, looking at the blood dripping down the wall.

When Klaus turned back to Rebekah she had the last two blood bags in her hands.

" Drop them." Klaus ordered her

" I mourned you!" Rebekah said, " My heart broke thinking that I'd never see you again."

"Put the blood down, Rebekah. There's a good girl."

" It's always been me!" Rebekah reminded Klaus, " Not Finn, not Elijah, not Kol, me! I loved you through everything and you don't even care!"

" Drop it!" Klaus yelled at her

"You want your family?" Rebekah questioned, before crushing the blood bags until they exploded, " Here's your family!"

Klaus rushed toward Rebekah and grabbed her by the throat.

"You know something, Rebekah, you're right. I don't care. From this moment on; you're not my family, you're not my sister, you are nothing." Klaus told her before breaking her neck and walking out of the room.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

When Damon and I got back to the Boarding House we went up the roof to talk.

" The whole council knows who we are now." I said, " Everything's about to change."

" Yeah, I'm working on a revenge plan as we speak." Damon said with a smirk, " We'll figure out a way to deal with that."

" You don't have to convince me that everything is going to be okay." I told him

" I know." Damon said, wrapping his arm around me, " Wish I could though. Wish that I could tell you that you'll never feel pain, that you'll never crave blood. But you will. It'll be the worst thing that you've ever lived through."

" I'm so looking forward to it." I said sarcastically and then seriously, " But at least I'll get to live. I'll be a cousin, a friend, and I'll be with you. Forever."

" I like the sound of that." Damon said and I smiled before Damon kissed me

" I'm gonna get though this." I told Damon, " Just like we get through everything; one day at a time." I looked up at the sky and saw that the sun was beginning to rise, " We should get inside before sunrise."

" Bonnie made this for you yesterday." Damon said as he pulled out a daylight ring, " Just incase."

" A daylight ring?" I asked and Damon nodded and he put the ring in my finger

" On day at a time, right." Damon said with a smile and I nodded

We kissed once more, then I rested my head on Damon's shoulder as we watched the sun rise.

* * *

Pastor Young faces his stove and releases the gas house from the back of it before turning to face the Council.

" Folks, by now, you know that the vampires have escaped." Pastor Young said as the council members pass around vervain, "And it won't be long before they retaliate against us. But fear not." the Pastor continued, locking the door, " For I have been chosen to lead us in a movement.

" What are you talking about?" One of the council members asked

" Hear me, loved ones. Soon you'll be free to pass through the gates." the Pastor said as he pulled out a lighter, " And we will all reunite in eternity."

" Seriously, Pastor, what's going on here?" the same council member asked

"Friends. We are the beginning." the Pastor finished before lighting the lighter, setting the whole house on fire.

**Authors Note**

**Well I hope that all of you enjoyed the first chapter of Bleeding Heart. It would mean a lot to me if you reviewed and told me what you thought. **

**Audrey;D**


	2. Memorial

_**Thank you for all the reviews, favorites, and alerts on the last chapter, it means a lot.**_

_Disclaimer- I still do not own the Vampire Diaries._

**Chapter Two- Memorial**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

_I climbed up the stairs to the balcony of some building and spotted a gagged and unconscious April Young sitting on the floor a few feet in front of me. I started towards her to help her when I saw the puddle of blood forming around her. My eyes turned red and my fangs grew before I ran at April, going for her neck…_

I opened my eyes and sat up in bed, turning to see Damon sound asleep next to me. I ran a hand through my hair in an attempt to calm myself down. It was just a bad dream, I kept telling myself, I was a vampire now, not a psychic. Plus April hadn't been around Mystic Falls for years so there was no way she was here now. I looked at the clock on the bedside table to see that it was almost five, so I decided to get out of bed and head into the bathroom to take a shower. When I was done I wrapped a towel around myself and walked out of the bathroom to see that Damon was still sleeping. I quietly walked across the room so I didn't wake him, I had almost made it to the door when I stepped on a floorboard and it groaned loudly under my feet. I flinched, looking back at the bed, but Damon was still asleep. I let out a sigh of relief before turning back to the door but instead Damon was standing right in front of me.

" How the hell did you do that?" looking at the now empty bed and back to him

" I'm faster than you give me credit for." Damon said with a smirk, " Why are you up so early?"

"No reason." I lied, trying to go around him but he stopped me

" Audrey?"

" I had a bad dream and I couldn't sleep, okay?" I snapped, " Now, I would like to get dressed if you don't mind."

Damon didn't say a word as he moved out of my way.

" Thank you." I said, opening the door and heading to my room to find something to wear.

* * *

A few hours later I was in my room when I heard Damon and Stefan talking in the living room.

" It would be a big mistake." I heard Damon tell Stefan

" No it wouldn't." Stefan argued, " If I can get Audrey used to animal blood right out the gate…"

" You're reaching." Damon interrupted.

" Maybe she'll bypass all the things we went through." Stefan finished

" Delusional!" Damon exclaimed as I started to walk downstairs

" Maybe she will actually have a shot at this."

"Wrong!" Damon said, " You're just wrong, Stefan."

" She won't be able to handle it if she hurts someone, Damon." Stefan snapped, " Her compassion her Achilles heel and everything is magnified right now."

" Than you better hope she's not a fan of Bambi." Damon said, " She needs human blood, Stefan, from the vein."

" Oh come on, you now what happens." Stefan said, " You name me one vampire that didn't kill at least one person when they were new."

I stopped when I heard this and immediately thought about April and my dream.

" You name me one that went on the bunny diet and didn't kill dozens." Damon told him

"If she kills someone she will crumble." Stefan told him, " How much pain do you think she can take before she shuts off her humanity?"

" It happens to the best of us at least once." Damon said matter-of-factly , " We get over it, Stefan."

"No, I think I'd like it if she skipped that part."

" She can't learn to control the bloodlust , if she never actually experiences the bloodlust." Damon said

" Would you two stop it." I snapped as I walked into the room, causing both brothers to look at me " If you guys would knock it off with the back and forth I could tell you that I want to try the animal blood."

" What?" Damon said angrily

" As much as I hate to admit it, Stefan's right, I don't want to hurt anyone." I told Damon, " I know you're not going to be on board with this."

" Nope. I say rip off the proverbial band-aid and let it bleed." Damon said, " You're a vampire Audrey, be a vampire."

" Do you want to go now?" Stefan asked me and I nodded, Stefan walked ahead of me and I began to follow.

" Vampires eat people." Damon said, stopping both me and Stefan, " It's part of the natural food pyramid." Than he looked right at me, " You're going to be miserable."

Stefan headed out the front door and I looked at Damon once more before following after him.

* * *

After a good hour long trek through the woods next to the boarding house, Stefan and I saw a deer eating a little ways ahead of us.

" Close your eyes." Stefan told me and I did

I felt a rush of air next to me and when I opened my eyes, the deer was bleeding from its neck and Stefan held it down. I made my way over to them and sunk down to my knees before sinking my teeth into the deer's neck. Quiet honestly the blood was disgusting, especially compared to human but if it meant that I wouldn't hurt anyone than I had to at least try to stomach it. A minute or so later I pulled back and the deer got back to it's feet and ran off.

" Don't worry about him." Stefan said as I stood up, " Bigger animals are more resilient."

Stefan handed me a napkin and I cleaned the blood off from around my mouth.

" You did it. I know it's hard but you can do this." Stefan told me, and I nodded

* * *

" I can't do it." I told Stefan, who was standing next to me, trying to teach me how to use vampire speed

"Alright, it's like the starting line of a race, right? So you just push off with every ounce of strength that you have." Stefan told me, " Just concentrate, okay?"

" I can't concentrate when you're looking at me like that." I said, " It's freaking me out."

"Okay." Stefan said with a laugh, " How about we race back to the boarding house?"

"Sounds fun." I told him, " Especially the part where I get to tell Elena about your epic loss."

" Not a chance." Stefan said, " Ready, set, go!"

With that we both took off. Stefan and I were neck and neck and we where halfway back to the boarding house when I started to feel sick. I stopped in my tracks and fell to my knees before puking up the deer blood.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Damon was sitting at the Mystic Grill bar drinking when Sheriff Forbes walked over to him.

" That seat's taken." Damon told her as she is about to sit down on his left

Liz looked at Damon for a minute before setting down a newspaper in front of him and walking around to the seat on the other side of him.

"Faulty gas line leads to tragic explosion at Young farm." Damon read the heading of the newspaper aloud before setting it down and looking at Liz, " Really?"

" It's better than 'Town Council blown up. Police have no suspects.'" Liz said, before looking at Damon accusingly, " Unless the perpetrator is right next to me."

"Well, don't look at me. I always take credit for killing people." Damon told her but Liz continued to give Damon the same look , "Seriously, stop looking at me like that, Liz. If I was going to kill twelve people, I wouldn't blow them up, I'd have a dinner party."

"The explosion was sparked from inside." Liz informed him, " This wasn't an accident."

"You say that like it's a bad thing." Damon said, "The Council's dead, Liz. I see that as a win."

"I've known some of the Council since I was a kid." Liz snapped, " They were my friends."

" Well, your friends tried to kill your daughter." Damon reminded her, then noticing someone coming towards them, "Who's the new guy?"

"Excuse me, Sheriff." the man said, " Hi, um, I was wondering if I could speak to you for a minute about the explosion at the Young farm."

"I'm sorry, Mr..?" Liz began, trying to find out the mans name

" Oh, Connor Jordan." Connor introduced himself, holding out his hand, on which he was wearing a black biker glove, and Liz took it, shaking his hand.

"Are you with the insurance investigators?" Liz asked Conner

" No, no, I'm more of an independent contractor." Connor said before seeing Damon, "Can we speak in private?"

" Sure." Liz said

" Thanks." Connor said and the two walked away

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Busybody Guy." Damon said to himself before talking another sip of his drink

* * *

Over at Mystic Falls High; Jeremy, Matt, and Jace were loading boxes into Jace's car.

"So, what are these again?" Matt asked, as they walked back to get more boxes

"They're paper lanterns." Jeremy explained, "The student council made them for after the Memorial. We light them up in honor of all the dead."

"Nobody thought fire might be a little inappropriate?" Jace questioned

"Yeah, I wouldn't make that crack in front of Audrey." Jeremy told Jace

" How is she?" Matt asked

" I guess she's fine, considering." Jeremy told him

"If there's anything I can do, you know, short of giving her a ride, you'll let me know, right?" Matt said, " I'm only alive because she told Stefan to save me first. She's a vampire because of me, so I'd like to pay it back or forward or whatever."

"Yeah." Jeremy told him

The trio picked up more boxes and were about to head back to the parking lot when someone stopped them.

" Jeremy!" A girl about Jeremy's age called , Jeremy seemed a little confused that this girl knew his name, "Picture an emo pixie cut and braces."

"April?" Jeremy said, setting down the box and walking over to her

"Yeah."

"You look great!" Jeremy said before turning back to Matt and Jace, "Matt, you remember April? Audrey used to…"

"Audrey used to babysit you" Matt finished for Jeremy, " Yeah, I remember."

" We haven't met, I'm Jace." Jace introduced himself

" Nice to meet you Jace." April said before looking at Matt, "Yeah, before I got shipped off to boarding school by my dad."

"Your dad." Jeremy repeated, " Oh my God, I am so sorry about your dad."

"Thank you." April said awkwardly, "I guess. I sort of don't know how to answer when people say that."

"Your dad was Pastor Young, right?" Matt asked April

"He had the faulty gas line." April replied, making Matt slightly uncomfortable, "Sorry, I haven't figured out what to say about that yet either. Wow, I am being a freak. Um… I'm just, you know, not much for grief, I guess. I have to go register or something, I think." April said before rushing off, leaving Jace, Jeremy, and Matt to watch her as she left

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

When Stefan and I got back to the boarding house, I immediately headed into the study and took out my phone to call Aurora. Unfortunately her phone went to voicemail.

"Hey, Aurora, it's me. I'm back, I um- can you call me? I've been having some adjustment issues." I hung up as Stefan came into the room, " Hey."

" Hi." Stefan smiled

" What's that for?" I asked, seeing the bottle of whiskey he had in one hand and two classes in the other

" I thought we should celebrate." Stefan told me

" Celebrate what?" I asked him

"Your first feed." Stefan said, setting the glasses down and filling them, " I know it was disgusting and traumatic and it was horrible, but you did it anyway. You survived it."

" Well, um, I wouldn't say I survived it. It actually kind of made me sick." I reminded him

"Listen, I choked it down for a month before I could stomach the taste. It gets easier." Stefan said confidently, handing me one of the glasses, "This, on the other hand, will go down like silk."

" Thanks." I said, I was about to take a sip when my phone went off telling me I had a text. I pulled my phone out ,looked at the message, and then back at Stefan.

" What is it?" Stefan asked, concerned

"It's Damon, he said Pastor Young and the other council members are dead."

* * *

" Please tell me you didn't do it." I said to Damon as I walked up to him at the Grill

" That seats taken." Damon told me

" But there's no one here." I said, and then I realized where I was standing, " This is where Alaric used to sit. Sorry."

I moved around and stood on the other side of him.

"Better?" I asked

" Much."

"Did you set off the explosion that killed the Town Council?" I questioned

"Am I wearing my 'I Blew Up The Council' t-shirt, why does everybody keep asking me that?" Damon snapped

"Did you?" I asked again

"No." Damon answered, "Anything else?"

" Yes, something's wrong." I told him, "I can't keep any of the animal blood down."

" Well, there's a shock." Damon said sarcastically, turning to look at me

" I think I need your help."

"Of course you do. Pick your meal." Damon said, pointing to people around the room, "You've got Asian fusion. Mexican. What about some good old American comfort food?"

" No. No, no human blood. Stefan's right, I have to at least try to get through this without hurting anyone." I said and Damon finished his drink before getting up

"Fine, come one." Damon said, grabbing my hand and pulling me away from the bar and into the bathroom.

Damon let go of me and turned to lock the door so no one else could come in.

" What are you doing?" I asked as he walked up to me

" Giving you what you need." Damon said before biting his hand, causing it to bleed, " Drink."

" What?"

"You're a new vampire, Audrey. You need warm blood from the vein. Maybe this will do the trick." Damon said, " Or not."

I looked down at his hand and back up at him. Damon nodded so I grabbed his hand and began to drink. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his chest as I drank. We stumbled back and hit a wall and I could feel Damon stroking my hair as I continued to drink deeply.

* * *

The next day I was laying out memorial pamphlets in the church when Matt walked up to me.

"How are you feeling?" Matt asked, handing me a few more pamphlets, "A little strung out?"

" I'm fine. It's just my emotions are all over the place." I told him, "Everything's heightened. I mean just the sight of all the names of the dead makes me want to cry for a week."

"You didn't have to volunteer." Matt reminded me

" People died. People we've known our whole lives, so yeah, I did." I told him, I looked towards the front of the church and I was shocked by who I saw, " Is that?"

" April Young." Matt answered, " Yeah."

" Oh, wow." I said, setting down the pamphlets and heading over to April, "Hey there." I said talking a seat next to her .

" Hey." April greeted, " Long time, no see. Not since…"

" Miranda and Grayson's funeral." I finished for her

" Yeah." April said sadly

I gave her a quick hug before pulling back and asking, " Are you going to survive this?"

"They want me to speak. I guess all the kids who lost somebody can." April said looking down, "What am I supposed to say? I'm sorry my dad didn't fix the gas line But, if I don't say anything then… I mean, what if nobody does? My dad and I didn't always get along or anything ,but everybody still deserves to have nice things said about them at their own funeral, you know? I mean, for my mom's funeral, everybody said these really nice things."

" You say what you want to say or you don't say anything at all." I told her, "And don't worry about your dad, everyone in this town loved him."

"Yeah." she said, sounding like she was about to cry, " Until two days ago."

"Even still." I said, taking her hand to calm her down, as soon as I did this though I could feel the blood rushing in her veins and I started to feel sick again. " I'm sorry. I have to go." with that I got up and ran downstairs to the bathroom. I made it to the toilet before I began to puke up blood. I stood up shakily I ,headed to the sink and when I got there I threw up again. I looked at myself in the mirror and saw that blood was all over the front of my dress as well as the bathroom.

* * *

" I'm here. I'm here." Damon said over the phone as I was cleaning up the blood from around the sink, " Where are you?"

"I'm in the basement bathroom." I told him, then the doorknob began rattle, " Is that you at the door?"

"Not yet." Damon said as someone knocked on the door

"Sorry, there's someone in here!" I yelled to the person on the other side of the door, " Damon, hurry."

I hung up my phone and turned the water on as I continued to clean the blood up from around the sink before moving to the toilet.

" You again." I heard Damon say to someone on the other side of the door, "Stalking small town funerals?"

" Oh, Damon, thank God." I said, opening up the door and taking my dress and bag from him, I looked over at the guy that had been knocking on the door, " Sorry, I spilt coffee all over my dress." I looked at Damon again before shutting the door and changing into my dress

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" We haven't met. I'm Connor. Jordan." Connor said, holding out his hand with his vervain soaked glove

"Damon. Germaphobe." Damon said to Connor before saying to Audrey through the door, "Everything okay in there?"

" Yeah, just a minute!" Audrey yelled back as she put all the blood stained paper towels in the bag Damon had given her.

"So, what brings you to Mystic Falls?" Damon asked Connor, " Bible salesman?"

"No" Connor began with a laugh, "Actually I'm in environmental clean up."

" Oh."

" Heard you had a bit of a pollution problem." Connor said

"Huh, well, I was unaware" Damon smirked, "I breathe pretty easy."

The two guys turned to look at the door as they heard it open and saw Audrey come out.

" I'm so sorry that took so long." she apologized, moving next to Damon

" No problem." Connor said with a smile

"Well, enjoy your stay. We love visitors and the scenery is to die for." Damon gasped, "Funeral pun. Too soon. Sorry."

Then Damon wrapped his arm around Audrey's waist and they both headed out of the church.

* * *

April was sitting in the balcony of the church, trying to write her speech, when Connor came up next to her.

"Sorry, you scared me." April told him, standing up, "I was just practicing my speech for later."

Suddenly Connor stabbed April in the stomach and she gasped in pain as Connor set her down on one of the church pews. April pulled her hand away from her wound and saw that her hand was covered in blood, then see began to feel blood dripping from her mouth.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" Did you bring the blood bag?" I asked Damon as we walked across the church grounds

"Would you mind saying that a little louder?" Damon said sarcastically as we moved behind a tree. He pulled out a blood bag and handed it to me, " Here."

I ripped open the top of the blood bag and began to drink but I couldn't even get any of the blood down.

"No, I can't." I said and Damon took the blood bag from me, "It tastes like…. What's wrong with me?"

"I don't know, maybe it's your psychic blood rejecting the transition." Damon said, wiping away some blood that had dripped down my chin

" I'm dying, aren't I?" I asked him

" No, you're not dying." Damon told me, "You just need to drink from the vein."

"No. No, I don't – I can't risk killing anyone, Damon." I said, remembering my dream of April, " Maybe I'm better off dead."

" Don't you think like that." Damon said, grabbing me by the shoulders, " Audrey, you'll be fine. Okay?"

The church bell rang and everyone started to go into the church.

" I have to get back inside." I said before walking around him and heading into the church

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

After Audrey had gone into the church Damon picked up the blood bag that had fallen to the ground and stuffed it into the bag he was holding. Damon began to walk away when he saw Stefan coming towards him.

"Ah, great."

" What's in the bag, Damon." Stefan asked his bother

"Mid-service snack. Church always gets me hungry. The whole blood Christ thing, you know." Damon said but the look Stefan gave him told Damon that he didn't believe him, " I brought it for Audrey."

"Are you really that intent on having your way?" Stefan snapped

"It's not my way, it's the only way." Damon said

" If she hurts someone, she'll be desperate to turn the guilt off." Stefan said, " Maybe even desperate enough to shut off her humanity."

" What and become a Ripper?" Damon asked

" I can't let her be anything like me." Stefan said, looking away

" Well, God forbid, she's anything like me." Damon said, " That's really what you're thinking. She's gonna go off the rails eventually, anyways, Stefan, so the faster we can make it happen, the sooner we can get her back on track."

" She's strong. If we help her, she can survive this."

" She's starving, Stefan!" Damon shouted, "She hasn't been able to keep blood down for days."

" What are you talking about?" Stefan asked in confusion, " She told me she was fine."

" Well, then she lied." Damon told him, " Your four legged protein shake was a bust. The juice box is a no go. She can't even keep my blood down."

" She drank from you?" Stefan asked

" Oops. Did I say that out loud?" Damon said before walking away

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I walked down the aisle in the church and took a seat next to Matt, Jeremy, Elena, Aurora, and Jace.

" You okay?" Jace asked me and I nodded

" April was looking for you." Jeremy told me, " She wanted help with her speech."

" Where is she?" I asked, looking around but not seeing her anywhere

" I don't know." Jeremy said, shrugging

* * *

**Third Peron P.O.V**

Up in the balcony, Connor was loading up a gun as he sat next to April, who was know bound and gagged. He finished loading the gun and aimed it at the podium in the front of the church.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

"Before we begin Mass, we'd like to open the floor to anyone who would like to share a memory about our late friends on the Town Council." Mayor Lockwood said from the podium, "I know that April Young wanted to say a few words about her dad. April? April, are you still here, honey?" Everyone waited for April but she never showed so Carol continued, "Is there anyone else who would like to share a recollection or a memory about Pastor Young?" When no one volunteered I took a deep breath and stood up, " Come on up, Audrey."

I walked up to the podium and when I looked among all the people I saw that Damon had just walked in and taken a seat next to Stefan.

"I uh – when I talked to April earlier she was kind of nervous about coming up to speak. And now that I'm up here, I'm kind of nervous too. The worst day of loving someone is the day that you lose them." I stopped suddenly when I started to smell blood

" Do you smell that?" I heard Caroline say and then Tyler reply, " Blood."

" Nobody move." Damon said from next to Stefan, " Don't turn around. It's a trap."

" I, um…" I said, trying to think of something to say, but all I could think about was blood. As veins started to pop up under my eyes, Damon came up next to me and wrapped his arms around me.

"It's okay, it's okay." Damon said as he brought me back to my spot next to Matt, " I got you, I got you."

" The blood, Damon, the blood, I can smell it. There's so much." I said as I leaned into Damon's side

" It's alright." Damon said, " Just calm down and focus on something else."

" What's wrong with her?" Matt asked Damon

" She's hungry." Damon told him, " She hasn't fed."

"So, get her out of here." Matt said

" I can't." Damon snapped, " There's somebody watching us. I'm gonna go rip his head off now, Stefan."

" You do that, Damon, and you risk exposing all of us." Stefan replied

" Well, I think the risk will be slightly diminished when I, you know, rip his head off." Damon said

"Damon, I'm losing it." I said

" You have ten seconds before I go old fashioned on the new guy."

"Don't do it, Damon." Stefan pleaded, " Please."

" Three, two, one." Damon counted down

"Wait, wait, wait, wait. Audrey, feed from me." Matt suggested, earning looks from me and Damon, " It's okay, everyone will think you're upset. Just feed from me."

I looked up at Damon and he nodded, albeit reluctantly, before letting go of me so I could go to Matt.

"It's okay. You'll be okay." Matt said as I move his collar and sink my teeth into his neck. After a while I pulled away and it was the first time in days that I didn't feel sick

" Thank you." I said to Matt, covering up the bite mark with his collar . I wiped the blood from my mouth before turning back to Damon, "The blood. I can still smell it. It's got to be April. We have to help her."

" Audrey, we can't risk it." Damon told me

"Then I'm gonna do it!" I said, trying to get past Damon to no avail

" Excuse me." Tyler said from the podium, causing me to look up at him, "I just wanted to say a few words about Pastor Young." Everyone sat down as Tyler continued, "Back in first grade, I was a brat who couldn't be bothered with team sports. Didn't care much about anything that didn't affect me. But he was the one who made me understand how important it is to be part of a team; a community. Of giving yourself up for the sake of…" Suddenly there was a gunshot and Tyler fell to the ground. I ran up the aisle and got to the stage the same time Caroline , Elena, and Stefan did.

" I'm gonna kill that bastard." Tyler said after Caroline pulled the bullet out of his shoulder

"Damon's way ahead of you." Stefan told him, then to me and Elena, " Stay here, I have to help him."

" What about April?" I asked him

" I got it." Aurora told Stefan as she came up to the stage, " Go."

" I have to call an ambulance." Carol said after Stefan had left

" No, he's fine." Aurora said

While everyone was distracted with Tyler, I walked away to go and help April. I made my way to the stairs and went up them to the balcony and I spotted a gagged and unconscious April Young sitting on the floor a few feet in front of me. I started towards her when I saw the puddle of blood forming around her. My eyes turned red and my fangs grew before I ran at April, going for her neck. Before I could get there Aurora grabbed me.

"She's not dead, but if you feed on her you will kill her!" Aurora told me

"Let go of me!" I said, trying to get free

"Look at her! Look at her, Audrey! It's April. April Young. She's not a warm body for you to feed on. She's your friend." Aurora said, calming me down, "She's an orphan. Just like you. She's scared. Just like you were."

Aurora let go of me when she realized that I wasn't going to attack April, then she went over to April and started to give her some blood to heal her.

"Please, don't hurt me. Please." April cried when she came to

" No one's gonna hurt you." Aurora told her, "No one's gonna hurt you.." She stood up and looked at me, "She needs you. You can make her forget all of this."

" Why did he do this?" April asked

" No, I – I can't, Aurora." I said, " You have to do it."

" No. The only way you're going to learn is if you do it yourself."

" No, I can't." I repeated

" Yes, you can." Aurora said, "You just need to believe what you're telling her. Okay?"

"April, listen to me." I walked over to April and kneeled down in front of her, "Everything's gonna be okay. You're gonna get through this. Just like I got through it." I began to compel her, "I'm going to help you. I promise."

" I'm gonna be okay." April repeated, " You're gonna help me."

"You watched the funeral from up here so that you could grieve alone. It was a beautiful service. People said really nice things." I said and a big smile spread across April's face.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Jeremy, Matt, and Jace were talking as they stood around the bar at Mystic Grill, waiting for the food they had ordered.

"That was insane." Jace said, " How do you think they'll cover this one up?"

"An assassination attempt on the Mayor's son." Jeremy suggested

" Altar boy goes postal." Matt said

" Hey." Connor said to Matt as he took a seat at the bar, gesturing to his neck," What happened there?

"Uh, girlfriend went a little overboard." Matt said with a slight laugh before walking away with Jace

" Nice ink." Jeremy said, seeing a large tattoo on Connor's arm

When Jeremy left, Connor looked down at his bare arm, seeming slightly confused.

" What ink?" Matt asked Jeremy when he had caught up

" You didn't see his tattoo?" Jeremy asked, "It was huge."

" He didn't have a tattoo." Jace told him

" Yeah, he did." Jeremy said as the three of them walked out of the Grill

* * *

After Connor left the Grill he went back to his trailer and sat down at the table. He picked up the letter he had found in the oven of Pastor Young's house and began to read it.

'_Dear April, I'm sorry for what you're going through. What I did was a necessary sacrifice and I'm afraid it's only the first of many more sacrifices to come. There's always been an evil that spread through Mystic Falls, but now a greater one is coming. My death is but the first in the war ahead. I will see you again when we all find our salvation. Until then, I love you. Dad.'_

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I got back to the boarding house after April had been taken care of, my mind racing about what had just happened. I had been so sure that my visions were gone now that I was technically dead, but apparently I was wrong. I heard Damon moving around in his room, so I went up the stairs and into his room.

" I'm gonna kill him." Damon said when he saw me

" Connor?" I asked

" Yes, Connor." he said, taking off his shirt and walking over to the closet to grab another, " The bastard shot me."

" Are you okay?" I questioned him

" I'll be fine." Damon replied, turning around to face me, buttoning up the shirt he had just put on. He took in my dejected look before asking, " What's wrong?"

" Nothing?" I lied, looking at the floor

" You're lying." Damon said as he walked over to me, " So what's wrong?"

" My visions are back." I said, looking up at him, "Or I guess they never went away. Either way I can still see the future."

" I thought they stopped when you drowned." Damon said

" Me too." I said, starting to tear up

"It's going to be okay, Audrey." Damon tried to assure me

" No it's not, Damon." I snapped, " I'm a psychic vampire. It's hard enough being either one of them, but both? I can't do it."

" Audrey listen to me." Damon began, bringing his hand up to caress my heck, causing me to calm down slightly, " I'm not gonna let you go through this alone. I will help you get through this, okay?"

I nodded and Damon wrapped his arms around me.

" You can be really sweet when you try to be." I said, pulling back to look at him

" Don't get too used to it." Damon said with a smirk, making me roll my eyes

" I love you." I smiled

" I love you."

I gave Damon a quick kiss before turning to walk away but Damon grabbed my hand and pulled me back so there was no space between us. Before I could say anything, Damon's lips were on mine. As our lips moved in sync, I quickly unbuttoned Damon's shirt and he shrugged it off. I pulled my dress over my head before we moved to the bed. As our kiss began to get more passionate I heard my phone start to ring and I pulled back.

" I have to get that." I told Damon as he kissed my neck, " It might be important."

" I'm sure whoever it is can wait." Damon said before bringing his lips back to mine

I ignored my phone and after a while it stopped. Unfortunately, whoever was calling me didn't let up and, my phone started to ring again.

" Damn it." I said, pulling away from Damon, grabbing my phone and answering it, " Whoever this is, it better be important.

"Audrey, I need you and Damon to come to Mystic Falls high." Stefan said

" We're a little busy." I told him, " Can it wait."

" No, it can't. Meet me here in fifteen minutes." Stefan said before hanging up

" Okay then, looks like we have to meet Stefan." I told Damon

" Ugh." Damon groaned,

" I don't like it either." I said, getting off the bed and throwing Damon his shirt, " I'm gonna change and I'll meet you at your car."

I didn't wait for Damon to respond before grabbing my dress off the floor and heading over to my room.

* * *

After I had changed into a pair of jeans, a red t-shirt, my leather jacket, and a pair of black converses; Damon and I headed to the school. We got there the same time Bonnie did.

"What are we doing here?" Damon asked Bonnie as we got out of his car

" I don't know." Bonnie said, "Ask Stefan."

Bonnie, Damon, and I walked up to Caroline, Aurora, Stefan, Elena, Matt, and Jeremy who were sitting around the tables outside of school.

" Stefan, what are we doing?" Damon asked his brother in annoyance

" We're finishing the memorial we didn't get to have earlier." Stefan said, handing out paper lanterns, "We need to start healing, Damon. We've all lost so much, especially recently. I think we're numb to it. We push it away, we make a joke out of it, ignore how we feel. We've never just let ourselves grieve."

" So, you're lighting lanterns?" Damon said in disbelief

" Yeah. Yeah, we need to do this." Stefan said

" What we need to do is find out who this hunter is and what he knows about the death of the Council." Damon told Stefan, "We have more important things to be doing right now than this."

" Not tonight, we don't." Stefan argued, "This is for my uncle Zach and my friend Lexi and for Alaric." Stefan lighted his lantern before handing the lighter to Matt.

" This is for Vicki." Matt said, lighting his lantern

" This is for my dad." Caroline said, "And Tyler's."

" For Audrey's dad." Aurora added

"This is for our parents." Jeremy said, looking at Elena, "For Vicki. Anna. Jenna. And Alaric."

Jeremy tried to hand the lighter to Jeremy but Damon didn't take it.

" No way. I'm not doing that." Damon said before storming off

" This is for my Grams." Bonnie said when she got the lighter

Bonnie handed me the lighter and a lantern.

"This is for my mom, my dad, Jenna, everyone that you've all lost, everyone that this town has lost. And for me, I guess." I said, lighting my lantern and letting it float away.

Everyone else let go of there lanterns and we watched as they drifted away.

* * *

When the lanterns we gone everyone left except me, Elena, and Stefan and we were now sitting on the top of the table.

" I can't believe Damon just left like that." Elena said to me

" I'm not." I told her, " I knew he wasn't gonna go for the lanterns, it's not really his style when it comes to grieving."

" Do you want a ride back to the boarding house?" Stefan asked me

" No, I'm gonna go talk to Damon and I'll get a ride back with him." I said, getting off of the table

"You know where he is?" Elena asked me

" Yep. I'll talk to you guys later. Okay?" I said as I headed toward the cemetery

* * *

Thanks to my vampire speed I made it to the cemetery in record time. As I walked through the cemetery I could hear Damon talking a ways ahead of me.

" They're floating lanterns in the sky, can you believe that?" Damon said, taking a pause before continuing, " A Japanese lantern is the symbol of letting go of the past. Well, here's a news flash, we're not Japanese! Do you know what they are? Children. Like lighting a candle is going to make everything okay or even saying a prayer or pretending Audrey is not going to end up just like the rest of us murderous vampires. Delusional, exasperating, little children. I know what you're going to say; 'It makes them feel better, Damon.' So what?"

I took a couple more steps and I would see Damon a few feet in front of me, talking to what I knew to be Alaric's headstone. I decided not to interrupt his venting and just leant against the tree I was next to and wait.

" For how long? A minute, a day? What differences does it make?" Damon continued, taking a seat on one of the cemetery benches, "Because in the end, when you lose somebody; every candle, every prayer is not going to make up for the fact that the only thing that you have left is a hole in your life where that somebody that you cared about used to be."

As he spoke Alaric appeared next to him on the bench.

" And a rock with a birthday carved into it that I'm pretty sure is wrong. So, thanks, friend. Thanks for leaving me here to babysit. I'm just stuck taking care of the kids. You owe me big."

" I miss you too, buddy." Ric said even though Damon couldn't here him

"He misses you too." I said, moving to take a seat on the other side of Damon, " He's sitting right next to you."

Damon looked on the other side of me before turning back to me.

" How did you now that I was here?" he asked

" Cause I know you." I said, rolling my eyes, " You grieve by drinking, usual with your drinking buddy, who happens to be here. I put two and two together." I set my hand on Damon's and he turned to look at me, " You don't have to go through this alone, Damon. I'm here for you."

" You two are so sweet, I think I might be sick." Alaric said jokingly

" Oh, please." I said to Ric, " Have you seen you and Damon? Talk about a bromance."

" It's not a bromance!" Damon and Ric said at the same time

" Aw, cute. You guys even denied it at the same time." I smiled before turning to Damon, " You ready to go?"

" Yeah." Damon answered, standing up and bringing me up with him

" See you later, Ric." I said

" Bye." Ric said with a smile as Damon and I walked away

* * *

_**Authors Note**_

_**Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up but it has been a crazy week. Hopefully the length of this chapter will make up for the wait. Well, anyway, make sure to review because reviews are the reason I write. Until next time…**_

_**Audrey;D**_


	3. The Rager

**_Disclaimer- I don't own the vampire diaries_**

**Chapter Three- The Rager**

Damon and I walked into the boarding house after we drove back from the cemetery and I turned to face him when I heard the door shut.

" Now that we're all alone, what do you want to do?" I asked him

"I think we should finish what we started earlier." Damon said with a smirk, pulling me to him and wrapping his arms around my waist

" I like the sound of that." I smiled, bringing my lips to his

As our kiss became heated, I jumped up and wrapped my legs around Damon's waist. I felt a rush of wind as Damon used his vampire speed, and in the next moment we were in his room. I got back on my feet and took my jacket and shirt off as Damon did the same. I made sure to shut and lock the door before we moved over to the bed so we wouldn't be interrupted this time.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Tyler was fast asleep in his hospital room as a deputy stood guard outside. The deputy heard a noise down the hallway and went to go see what had caused it. He looked around but didn't find anything or anyone that could have caused the sound. Suddenly, Connor came up behind the deputy and put him in a choke hold until the deputy passed out. Conner set the deputy down before going into Tyler's room, only to find that the bed was empty. Tyler had moved when he heard Connor take down the deputy and was now standing right behind Connor. Tyler was about to attack him when Conner turned around and stuck a syringe into Tyler's neck. Tyler tried to move but whatever Connor had given him made it impossible to do so. Connor moved Tyler over to the bed and opened his mouth to see Tyler's fangs.

" Don't bother." Connor said as Tyler continued to struggle, " It's a paralytic."

With that, Connor brought out an empty and stuck the needle right above one of Tyler's fangs and started to extract Tyler's werewolf venom. When Connor was done he put away the syringe and left the room. It only took another minute or so until the paralytic wore off of Tyler, but when he rushed out of the room to look for Connor, he was already long gone.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I woke up the next morning as sunlight started to fill up the room, my head resting on Damon's bare chest. I looked up at Damon and saw that he was still sleeping peacefully before laying my head back on his chest, soaking in the moment. A while later I got out of bed and put Damon's shirt on over my bra and underwear before heading downstairs and into the kitchen to make a pot of coffee. I started the coffeemaker and I was about to grab a mug when I felt a pair of strong arms wrap around me.

" Good morning." Damon, who was only wearing his boxers, said as I turned around to face him

" Good morning." I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck

In an instant Damon's lips were on mine. Damon moved his arms only to pick me up and set me on the island in the middle of the kitchen. We kissed deeply for a few minutes before someone cleared their throat and we separated. We looked up to see that Stefan had just walked in.

" Oh, hey Stefan." I said, jumping off of the island

" Hi." Stefan greeted me awkwardly, " Sorry to interrupt but aren't you supposed to meet Matt before school?"

" Yeah." I said, " Wait, what time is it?"

" Seven." Stefan told me, looking at his watch

" Crap. I'm gonna be late." I sad before running past Stefan and up to me room to get dressed.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

**_Twenty Minutes Later…_**

Damon walked out the front door of the boarding house, now fully dressed and holding two travel mugs of coffee, to see Stefan working on a motorcycle.

" Good day for a midlife crisis." Damon said, getting Stefan's attention, " 164 years? I'd say you're due."

" Elena's been a little depressed lately because of what happed to Audrey." Stefan told Damon, " I want to help her have some fun."

" Oh." Damon said, " Those who can't do, teach."

"Where are you going?" Stefan asked his brother, choosing to ignore the last comment

"That hunter jacked Tyler Lockwood of his werewolf venom last night so he's basically got vampire poison in a bottle." Damon informed Stefan, "And I'm going to find him. And I'm going to eat him."

" I'll go with you." Stefan offered

" I don't want your help." Damon said, " I just want to kill this guy."

" Who are you killing?" Audrey asked as she walked out of the boarding house, now dressed in a black skirt and camisole, a white sweater, and a pair of back wedges.

"The new hunter." Damon told her

" Okay." Audrey said, then seeing the mugs of coffee in Damon's hands, " One of those for me?

Damon nodded and handed Audrey her coffee.

" So your okay with him just killing this Connor guy?" Stefan asked Audrey

" He shot Tyler Lockwood in a church full of people." Audrey reminded him, " Which means he will go to any length to get rid of us."

"Not to mention the werewolf venom he now has." Damon added, taking a sip of coffee

"Now he had werewolf venom? Yeah, this guy has to go." Audrey said, " I'd love to stay and chat but I'm late. See you guys later." Audrey finished before heading to her car

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" I'm so sorry I'm late." I told Matt as I ran up to him, " Thank you for doing this. I can't keep anything else down."

"It's okay." Matt assured me, " I kinda owe you my life, remember."

" Yeah, but I didn't make Stefan save your life just so I could make you into a human blood bag." I said

" Audrey, please." Matt said, rolling up his sleeve, " Just let me do this for you."

I looked at him before taking his arm and biting into his wrist. I drank for a while before letting go of his arm.

" Was that enough?" Matt asked as I looked though my bag for a napkin

" No." I said, wiping off my lips incase there was any extra blood, " But if I had anymore I'm afraid that I wouldn't stop." I pulled a bandage out of my bag and put it on Matt's now bleeding wrist before saying, " Thank you."

Matt nodded right as the warning bell rang. We jumped down from the ledge we were standing on and started walking to the entrance of the school.

" So you really think school is the best place for you right now?" Matt asked

" The vampire hunter knows that Damon is a vampire and that I know Damon." I told him, " Hiding at home would be more suspicious. Besides, I want to be here. It's senior year. I made it this long, there's no way I'm skipping out before graduation."

I saw a deputy put a flyer on a car windshield as we walked by, so I grabbed one to see what it said.

" Town called for curfew?" I questioned

"Tyler got shot in front of half the town." Matt reminded me, " Everyone's a little freaked."

"If only they knew the real story."

* * *

Matt and I went out separate ways when we got inside and I caught up with Elena and Stefan just as they were heading into History. We took our seats and I started to get a little teary eyed when I realised that Alaric would never be in this class room again.

" It's the first time we've been back in Alaric's class room." Stefan sighed, looking at me

" It's first period and I want to bawl my eyes out." I told him

" Morning everyone." Rebekah said as she came into the room

" And just like that I'm no longer feeling sentimental." I said, leaning back

" So I'm having a little anti-curfew party and my new house," Rebekah continued as she handed out flyers, " It starts in fifth period, goes until whenever. You're welcome to come Audrey if you'd like to bury the hatchet."

" It's a pretty enormous hatchet." I said

" Well, I'm feeling generous of spirit." Rebekah told me

" New house, huh?" Elena said, " Did your brother finally kick you out?"

" He didn't kick me out, I left." Rebekah replied

" So you left the only person on Earth that actually likes you?" I questioned

"Well, your boyfriend liked me once." Rebekah said to me before turning to Elena, " And Stefan liked me a lot more than once."

" Why are you still here?" Stefan asked, " Don't you have anywhere else to go?"

" History is my favorite class. Actually, where is Mr. Saltzman?" Rebekah said, "Oh, that's right, I killed him."

At that I finally snapped. I picked up my pencil and threw it at Rebekah, who caught it and threw it into my shoulder. I hissed in pain as I ripped the pencil out of my shoulder. I glared at Rebekah as I got up walked out of the room.

" Just breathe, just breathe." Stefan said, coming out of the room behind me

" I hate her. I didn't think I was capable of this kind of hate, but I hate her." I said, I stopped my rant when I saw Connor down the hall, " That's the hunter."

" What the hell is he doing here?" Stefan said, turning around in time to see Connor make his way towards Jeremy

" Jeremy,no." I said, trying to go to Jeremy but Stefan stopped me

"No,no,no, get this." Stefan said, holding my bloody hand, " I got that."

* * *

I headed into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror to see that blood had completely stained my sweater. I took off my sweater and watched as my wound healed before washing the blood off of my hands and shoulder. I dried off my shoulder as someone opened up the door and came in.

" There you are." Heather said, holding her neck, " Rebekah sent me to see if you were okay."

" I'm fine, Heather." I told her, walking away from the sink

" I'm not." Heather said

I turned to look at Heather to see blood dripping from her neck where she was holding it.

" What's wrong, Audrey?" Rebekah asked as she came into the bathroom, " Getting hungry?"

" No, get away from me." I said as Heather moved her hand from her bleeding neck

" But she's so delicious." Rebekah said, running her finger through the blood

Rebekah tried to smear the blood on my face but I smacked her hand away.

" You shouldn't be here." I snapped, " This is my school, my life and I'm not gonna let you ruin it."

" It's my school now, my life. Maybe you're the one that shouldn't be here." Rebekah said, " And I couldn't help but overhear that there's a vampire hunter roaming the hallways. How inconvenient for you." Suddenly Rebekah covered her hand in Heather's blood and smeared it all over my face causing me to bare my fangs at her, " See you in gym. I think it's dodgeball day."

With that Rebekah walked out of the bathroom with Heather right behind her.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

After Connor had found Jeremy, he brought him to the algebra room since it was one of the only rooms open for first hour.

" You mind telling me who you are and why I'm here?" Jeremy asked as Connor looked through a folder, " I'm happy to miss bio but..."

" I looked into your family's history. You, your sister, and your cousin have been through quite a lot." Connor told Jeremy, putting the folder on the desk in front of him

" What are you a social worker? Why do you care?"

" Because you saw this." Connor said, rolling up his sleeve

" It's a tattoo, big deal." Jeremy said

" I call this a hunters mark." Connor told him, " As in vampire hunter."

" A vampire hunter." Jeremy laughed, getting up, " Look, I'm sorry man but.."

" Jeremy." Connor cut Jeremy off, " I know your family's history in this town, so you playing dumb just makes you look dumb."

" Why the show and tell?" Jeremy questioned

" Because it's invisible. To anyone but another hunter or potential hunter."Connor explained, " Find me a vampire, I'll train you, teach you how to do what I do. I'm on Hudson off of route thirteen. Don't show up unless you find one."

" How am I supposed to do that?" Jeremy asked him

" Ask your friend with the bandage on his neck." Connor replied before walking out of the room

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" It was a valiant first day effort." Caroline said as her, Elena, Stefan,and I were hanging around the stoner pit, " No one will blame you if you want to go home."

" I don't want to go home. I want to take the white oak stake and kill her." I said angrily, " That's how mad I am, she made me murderous."

" How about we just leave the murdering to Damon." Stefan said

" And then do what? Ignore her to death." I snapped

" She's trying to make herself feel better." Elena told me," She knows that everyone hates her so she's trying to hate harder."

" How about we just skip the rest of the day and have some fun." Stefan suggested, " I feel like this day is severely lacking in fun."

" Yeah, okay, fine." I said, " Then we'll go to her party and show her that she can't intimidate me. I just have to go home and change first."

I waved to Elena and Caroline before heading to the parking lot to find my car.

* * *

As I was driving back to the boarding house my phone started ringing. I looked down at the caller ID and was surprised to see that Meredith was the one calling me.

" Meredith, what's up?" I answered

" Audrey, hey." Meredith said, " Damon just called me saying he needed my help but I was just called into surgery. I thought that you could help him out."

"Yeah. Where is he?"

" Hudson off of route thirteen." Meredith told me

" Thanks." I said, hanging up and heading to Hudson.

* * *

When I got to Hudson I found a trailer and I opened to find Damon with an arrow sticking out of his back.

" What the hell?" I said as I walked in and shut the door behind me

" Audrey? What are you doing here?" Damon asked

" Meredith called me saying that you needed help but she couldn't come because she was going into surgery." I told him, I looked at the arrow in his back and saw that it was connected to what looked like a bomb, "Tell me that isn't a bomb."

" Okay, it's a kitten." Damon said, " It's an adorable, exploding kitten. Since you're here will you cut out the arrow? I'd do it myself but if I move then it'll blow."

" Fine." I said, grabbing a knife off of the table before starting to cut out the arrow

" So, how well did you know Pastor Young?" Damon asked

" Well, I used to babysit April, so pretty well." I told him, " He was always a nice guy."

" A nice, crazy guy." Damon said, holding up a letter for me to read, " He wrote a letter about sacrifice and war brewing in Mystic Falls."

" What does he mean ' a greater evil is coming' ?" I asked before returning to what I was doing, " Don't we have great enough evil already?"

" You'd think."

" Okay, I think that should be good." I said when I was done, I backed up and Damon ripped out the arrow

* * *

I beat Damon back to the boarding house and ran up to his room to see if I could find the white oak stake before he got back. I made it through his closet before I heard Damon come in.

" I hope you plan on cleaning this up." Damon said

" I need bourbon to get through Rebekah's party." I lied,turning to face Damon, " Yours is better than the stuff downstairs."

" Oh, top drawer in the dresser." Damon told me

I walked over to his dresser and opened the drawer, only to roll my eyes at what I saw.

" You keep alcohol in your underwear drawer?" I asked him, turning around

" No,but you weren't looking for alcohol were you?" Damon said as he began to unbutton his shirt, "Did you think that I would leave the last remaining white oak stake where any vampire could walk in and take it?

" You know the hunter was in my school today." I told Damon, changing the subject

" Yep." Damon said, " Jeremy told me."

" Why were you talking to Jeremy?"

" Don't worry about it." Damon said

"Damon, don't bring him into this." I said as he took off his shirt

" Perish the thought he might actually be useful, Audrey." Damon said as he unbuttoned his jeans, " You staying for the show or..."

" I would love to, but I have a white oak stake to find." I said before walking away

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Connor was sitting outside of his trailer, carving strange symbols into stakes, when he say Jeremy coming towards him.

" You got a vampire for me?" Connor asked him

" No, but I know where you can find one." Jeremy began, " There's a doctor, Meredith Fell, she uses vampire blood in surgery. I think she has a deal with one, her blood for his."

"You see, that's the problem." Connor said, getting out of his seat, " When a town protects a vampire word spreads, more come, they feed, they turn. Soon you have a full on infestation. Your high school for example, it's crawling with them. One's even having a party."

" Is that where we're going?" Jeremy asked

" No, we're going to the hospital." Connor said, grabbing a bag from his trailer, " As long as people are drinking at that party, I've got it. They'll be dead by sundown."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

After I changed into a pair of black skinny jeans and grabbed my leather jacket to wear over my cami, I drove to Rebekah's party and met up with Elena and Stefan before we all went in.

" Wow, we didn't have to be invited in." Stefan said as we walked past the threshold, " I wonder who used to live here?"

" Or who died here." Elena said

I stopped in my tracks when I saw Rebekah talking to some girl from school.

" You're fixating." Stefan told me

" No, I'm just quietly hating." I said

" This is mine now." Stefan compelled some guy to give him his cup of beer before handing it to me, " Here have a drink, it will help you let go."

I was about to take a sip when I saw April, " April's here. I'm gonna go say hi."

" And we are going to go find something a little bit stronger than beer." Stefan said, wrapping an arm around Elena as they both walked away

* * *

" Hey." I said to April when I found her all alone in the kitchen

" Audrey." April smiled, " Thank God, I know someone."

" I'm glad you came. You thirsty?" I asked, holding out the beer Stefan had given me

" You know, you used to read me bedtime stories." April reminded me

" And now I'm giving you beer." I said, " Sounds about right."

April laughed as she took the beer.

" If my dad could see me now." April said after taking a sip

" How are you doing with everything?" I asked her

" I'm trudging through my denial phase." April told me honestly, " Dreaming up conspiracy theories. My first weekend home from boarding school,my dad smelt cigarette smoke on my clothes before I even walked through the door. He would have noticed a gas leak."

" So you don't think it was an accident?"

" I know that there is no investigation, that everyone thinks that it was an accident. But the shooting at the church, it just feels like..."

" Something wicked this way comes, I know right." Rebekah finished for April as she came in, " It seems like this town is cursed or something."

" Hey, April, why don't you look around the house and I'll find you in a bit." I told April

"Okay." April nodded before leaving

"Did I forget to uninvited you?" Rebekah asked as soon as April was gone

"Did you blow up her dads house to get revenge on the town council?" I questioned

" I don't give a damn about some dodgy middle-aged council. You come into my house, throw around false accusations, and then you have the nerve to drink my beer." Rebekah snapped, taking the cup of beer out of my hand, and taking a sip.

Suddenly my skin started to burn and I looked down at my hand to see that my ring was gone.

" My ring." I said before rushing over to where the sun wasn't shining, I looked at Rebekah and saw her holding up my ring, " Give it back."

" Get it yourself." Rebekah said, throwing my ring down the drain and turning on the garbage disposal before walking out of the room. After a few minutes I ran to the sink, my skin burning whereever the sunlight touched it, and turned off the garbage disposal before grabbing my ring and putting it back on. I went to my purse and pulled out the white oak stake, I was about to go find Rebekah when I turned and saw Stefan standing in front of me.

" Damon give that to you?" Stefan asked, looking at the stake

" Yes, albeit reluctantly." I told him, " Stefan, she's not gonna stop. She's just gonna keep pushing and pushing."

" Well, if you want to kill her, I'm not gonna stop you." Stefan said, " But see, here's what'll happen. It'll feel really good for about ten seconds and then after that tens of thousands of vampires all over the world will start to die. Every vampire she has ever turned will die. See, rage is a really powerful feeling. But guilt, take it from me, will destroy you. So you can either go after her or we can get the hell out of here."

" Fine." I said after a few moments, " I'll go, but only if you stay here with Elena and have some fun."

"Seems doable." Stefan said with a smile

I handed him the stake and we both met up with Elena before heading out the front door where we passed Rebekah.

" Leaving so soon, Audrey?" Rebekah asked

" No. Not just yet." I said, handing my purse to Elena before heading over to the keg and doing a kegstand while I drank beer from the nozzle for a minute. I got down grabbed my purse from Elena, " Now I'm ready to go." I turned to Elena and Stefan ," Have fun you guys." Then I headed to my car and drove off.

* * *

While I was driving I pulled out my phone and dialed Damon's number.

"Calling to tell me that you killed the blonde ponytail?" Damon answered

" Unfortunately no. Stefan talked me out of it." I told him, " Actually I was wondering if you needed any help on hunter detail."

Damon was quiet for a bit before saying, " Yeah, but you should know that Klaus is helping too."

" I can live with that." I said, " Where are you?"

" The hospital." Damon said

" Okay, I'll be there in five." I said, hanging up

* * *

I got to the hospital and found Damon and Klaus in the a supply closet in the back of the hospital. We waited for a while and when we saw Meredith walk through we knew that Connor was on his way.

" Is the hospital really a good place for a germaphobe?" Connor asked as he came into the room

" Did I say that I was a germaphobe?" Damon said as we walked in front of Connor, " Sorry, I meant vampire."

Connor pulled out a stake gun and was about to shoot Damon when he was shot in the arm with an arrow. He dropped the gun and tried to pick back up when he was shot with another arrow.

" Stings, doesn't it?" Damon smirked

Connor reached for his gun again but Klaus came out and kicked it out of the way.

" Hello, mate." Klaus said causing Connor to look up at him before looking at me and Damon

* * *

" Keep it up buddy." Damon said as Connor tried to pull the arrow out

" You three are gonna kill me anyway." Connor snapped

" Let's not get to hasty, I feel like we're just starting to get to know each other." Klaus said

" Let's start with the basics." I said, walking up to him, " Where are you from? What do you know? Maybe you could clue us in on this 'greater evil' Pastor Young was talking about?"

" Yes, because I have fought this guy," Damon said, pointing to Klaus, " and it doesn't get anymore evil than that."

" Yeah. Truth be told, I'm as evil as it gets." Klaus told Connor

" I'm not telling you anything." Connor said, " You think that if you kill me this will all be over? There's another waiting to take my place."

" See, this is what I like to hear." Damon said, " Vague threats, ominous policies, disappearing tattoos."

" What do you mean 'Tattoos' ?" Klaus asked him

" Don't bother you can't see the damn thing." Damon told Klaus

As Klaus and Damon talked to Connor I started to feel dizzy. I got this weird feeling in my arm so I pulled up the sleeve of my jacket and saw that veins were popping up all over my arm. ' What the hell?' I thought as I continued to down at my arm. My eyes widened as I realized that Connor had werewolf venom which was the only thing that could do something like this.

" There's more to you than meets the eye." Klaus said to Connor, breaking me out of my stupor

I looked up to see if Connor was going to say anything to Klaus only to find that Connor was looking right at me with a smirk on his face.

" Why are you so happy?" Damon asked Connor

" Because you're girlfriend is full of werewolf venom." Connor told him

Damon turned to me and looked at my arm in shock before looking me in the eyes. While we were distracted Connor tried to stake Klaus but Klaus grabbed his hand and took the stake.

" Nice try but I'm faster than the average vampire." Klaus told him, looking at the stake, " You're one of the five."

" The what?" Damon asked, turning to Klaus

" And I'm faster than your average hunter." Connor said

The next thing I knew, Damon grabbed me and rushed us out of the room right before it exploded.

" Are you okay?" Damon asked me

" No, not really." I said, sitting up and looking around to see if Klaus had gotten out, " Please tell me that the only cure for a werewolf bite didn't just blowup."

* * *

" Come on Klaus, where the hell are you?" Damon said as he left another message on Klaus's voicemail before taking a seat next to me, " Hey, you still with me?"

" Yeah." I said with a weak nod

We both looked down the hallway when we heard footsteps approaching, and we saw Klaus coming towards us.

" Where have you been?" Damon asked as he got to his feet

" Doesn't matter. What does matter is that I showed up." Klaus said, " And for future reference one voicemail is just as good as nine. Now what seems to be the problem?"

" You heard the hunter, she has werewolf venom in her system." Damon told Klaus, " You're the only one that can heal her."

"And what would you have done if I were no longer here?" Klaus asked, " If you and your friends had succeeded in ridding the world of me? Let's play that game for a moment, shall we?"

" What ever you want from me..." Damon started but Klaus quickly cut him off

" I don't want anything from you." Klaus snapped before coming over to me, " Her on the other hand. If you had told me a few hours ago, I wouldn't have cared a lick about her dying. But as it turns out, you may be of used to me yet."

With that, Klaus bit into his wrist and brought it to my wrist

" Yes, there you go." Klaus said as I started to drink deeply

* * *

" I think I'm gonna head home." I said to Damon after Klaus left and I was cured, " My actual house, not the boarding house."

" Do you want me to give you a ride?" Damon asked, still seeming a little worried

" No." I said, looking down the hallway to see Mayor Lockwood coming toward us, " I think the Mayor may want to talk to you. I'll be fine."

" I'll come by after I'm done here." Damon said

" Okay." I said, giving Damon a quick kiss before I headed out of the hospital.

* * *

On my way home Jeremy called and tried to apologize for the werewolf venom thing saying that he tipped Connor off about the party but I told him it wasn't his fault. Then I called Matt and asked him if he would meet me back at the house. Twenty or so minutes after I got back, I heard the door open and shut as Matt walked in.

" Audrey." Matt said as he came into the kitchen, " If I knew you were going to go to that party than I never would have told Connor about Rebekah."

" I already had this conversation with Jeremy. There was no way that you guys could have known that I was going. I mean, I was surprised that I went." I told Matt as he rolled up the sleeve of his shirt, " Damon and Stefan warned me that I would feel things more powerfully, but the hate that I felt today... I almost killed her, in front of everyone, in the middle of a party. That's not me. At least it didn't used to be."

" Honestly, Audrey, Rebekah kinda deserved it." Matt assured me

" Yeah, but it's not just about Rebekah, it's about my mind." I said as Matt ripped the bandage off of his wrist and held it out for me, " I'm having these terrible thoughts, these violent images, and it's all driving by this one, simple thing. This hunger." I finished, grabbing Matt's arm and sinking my teeth into his wrist.

" Hey, Audrey, are you sure that you want to take that much?" Matt asked as I drank deeply, " Audrey. Audrey, that hurts. Audrey! Audrey! Audrey!"

I grabbed Matt by the throat and slammed him into the wall as I continued to drink, hoping that it would shut him up. Suddenly I was pushed off of Matt by Damon. I was about to charge at him when Damon grabbed me by the shoulders.

" Stop." He told me, " Stop."

" Oh my, God." I said when I realized what I did, " Matt, I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. I didn't mean to."

Damon looked at me once more before heading over to Matt.

" It's okay. Forget what just happened." Damon compelled Matt, " You came over, she fed a little bit, then you left. Now, go home."

" What have I done?" I asked as Matt left

" Nothing you should be ashamed of." Damon told me, " You're a vampire now. You just have to learn the right way to be one. And I'm gonna teach you."

I nodded as Damon tucked a stray lock of hair behind my ear.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Back at Connor's trailer, Connor slowly came back to consciousness. Connor tried to get up when he saw Klaus standing in front of him, but Klaus just pushed him back down.

" You saved me?"

" Congradulations." Klaus told him, " You just became worth more to me alive than dead."

" What did you mean you said that I was one of the five?" Conner queried

" You don't know about your own history?" Klaus said, " Well, let's just say that it's made you the most well protected vampire hunter in town."

**Author's Note**

**Sorry, once again, for such a long wait. As th season goes on I'll get better at my punctuality with chapters. Thank you to everyone that reviewed, favorited, and alerted; you guys have no idea how much they mean to me. Please continue to review and until next time...**

**Audrey;D**


	4. The Five

_**Disclaimer- As much as it pains me to say this, I do not own the Vampire Diaries.**_

**Chapter Four- The Five**

I was standing in the study, looking down at one of Connor's stakes when Stefan came up next to me and picked up another stake that was identical to the one I was holding.

" So what's all this?" Stefan asked as Damon came into the room with a box of Connors stuff

"Some personal items that I snaked from the vampire hunter's he rest in peace." Damon told him, setting the box down, "I'm searching for a supernatural handbook."

" And you know for a fact that he was supernatural?" Stefan asked

"Definitely wasn't natural." I said, setting down the stake, "The guy magically appeared just as someone blows up the entire Founders Council. He's covered in a tattoo that only Jeremy seems to be able to see."

"Plus, Klaus mentioned something about him being one of The Five." Damon added, "Then he kamikazes himself with explosives. Sound natural to you?"

"What's The Five?" Stefan questioned

"That's what I'm hoping is in the first chapter of the handbook." Damon answered as his phone started to ring, "Liz Forbes, my favorite sheriff. What? That's... concerning." Damon said, looking at me, "Keep me posted."

" What is it?" I asked him

" They didn't find any remains at the explosion site." Damon replied

" So Connor's still out there." Stefan said

" Apparently so." Damon replied, " Look, I'm gonna need you to get on this today. I have to take Audrey to college."

" You have to do what?" Stefan asked

" He's teaching me to feed." I explained

" Yep, she needs to learn how to snatch, eat, and erase now more than ever." Damon told Stefan before heading out to grab the last of the things he had taken from Connor's RV.

I turned to look at Stefan to see that he was giving me a look of disbelief.

" I know it's crazy but I almost killed Matt last night. Damon had to rip me off of him and then compel him to forget. Call it "Psychic curse" or whatever, but I can't drink animal blood. I can't drink from a blood bag, I can only drink from the vein." I told him, " Bonnie will be there too. We're crashing her trip to Whitmore College. The professor that took over her Grams' classes, he invited her."

" Okay." Stefan said, "Just be careful, okay? The blood, the feed... It's easy to get caught up in it."

" Don't you worry, Stefan." I said, with a smile " Careful is my middle name."

" You ready to go?" Damon asked as he came into the room and set down the last of Connor's things

" Yeah." I said, walking over to him, " See you later, Stefan."

With that, Damon and I headed out of the boarding house.

* * *

After Damon and I left the boarding house we picked up Bonnie and headed to Whitmore College. We pulled up a while later and we all got out of Damon's car.

" Are you sure that you're okay with this?" I asked Bonnie as I shut the car door

" If I could spell you out of wanting blood, I would, but I can't, so better you learn this now than at freshmen orientation." Bonnie told me

"Something tells me that college isn't in my future anymore." I said sullenly as we walked around to the front of the car

"Oh, stop with the pity party. If I can go to college, you can go to college." Damon said

" You went to college?" Bonnie asked in a disbelieving tone

"Sure, plenty of times. I always had a thing for sorority girls." Damon said with a smirk causing me to roll my eyes

" You're disgusting." Bonnie told him

" I know." Damon said

Bonnie and I turned around and walked off with Damon following behind us.

* * *

"When I say the word 'witch', what pops into your head?" The professor, who I assumed was Professor Shane, said as Damon, Bonnie, and I walked into the room, "Halloween costume? Villan of a fairy tale? Maybe an ex girlfriend? Well, whatever image it is it's probably not Tanyell Soso of Montego, Cameroon."

"Is that him?" I asked Bonnie as we sat down

" Yeah." Bonnie said

" He's kind of..." I started

"Hot." Bonnie finished for me and I smiled

"Now, in reality, or in this reality at least, witches appear to cross every culture in history." Professor Shane continued, " They're the architects of the supernatural; responsible for everything that goes bump in the night from ghosts to vampires to doppelgängers to psychics."

"What is this guy, Witch-apedia?" Damon said, making me laugh

" Shhh, shut up." Bonnie said to Damon

"Now, if you're a skeptic, you'd call that a coincidence." Professor Shane said, "But, if you're a true believer, you know that there's really no such thing. It scares the crap out of us."

" What if I'm a Ripper?" I whispered to Damon

"You're not a Ripper." Damon told me

"What if I am?" I asked

"Well then, pick someone and we'll find out." Damon said and I started to look at people around the room, my eyes landing on a guy in the front of the room

"Stoner guys are no good to grab." Damon said, " They're too paranoid and you don't want the extra buzz."

The I looked down the row and saw a brunette girl taking notes.

" Now, she is fun size but geeky girls are inherently suspicious of anyone who is nice to them. What you want," Damon said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder and pointing to a girl a few rows away from us, "is the little blonde, pretty girl. Self absorbed, easily flattered, you just have to separate her from the pack and make your move."

"Am I interrupting you guys?" Professor Shane asked Damon and I, causing us to look at him and separate, " Or is it maybe the other way around?"

" Sorry." I apologized

"I was just saying how much I love witches." Damon said to Professor Shane

"Yeah, you and me both, brother." Professor Shane said to Damon before addressing the whole class again, " Alright, listen, we should probably talk about the reading that none of you did."

* * *

When Professor Shane was done with his lecture, Bonnie went to talk to him as Damon and I followed after the blonde Damon had pointed out earlier.

" She's young and healthy, she'll heal up like a charm, just keep your eye on the ball." Damon told me

" It's not a game, Damon." I said

" Fine, It's not a game, it's a high stakes dangerous maneuver." Damon said, " Now, just go, just like we practiced. That's all you have to do."

" Hey." I called out, getting the girls attention, "You're in my Anthro class, right?"

" Uh, yeah, I guess so." The girl replied

" I totally spaced and forgot to get the reading list." I lied, " Do you have it?"

" Sure. Uh – let me check." she said

She looked down at her and I grabbed her wrist, which made her look up at me.

" This isn't going to hurt." I said, compelling her, "Please don't scream."

I was about to bite into her wrist when I saw a picture of her and a little girl on her phone.

" Who's that?" I asked her

"It's my little sister." she told me

" Get out of here. Go back to class." I compelled her and she walked away

"What the hell are you doing?" Damon asked me

" I just… I saw the picture and I –" I started

"Everybody is someone's uncle or father or camp counselor or bible study teacher." Damon cut me off, "Audrey, you don't know these people, why do you care?"

" I care because I'm still me. I still have the same feelings, Damon." I snapped, "Sorry if that spoils your master plan to turn me into a super vampire."

"What's going on?" Bonnie asked as she walked up to us

" Nothing." Damon said, "Audrey is educating me on the importance of feelings."

"Did you talk to the professor?" I asked Bonnie

"For a second." Bonnie answered, "He found some stuff of my Grams' in his office and he's gonna dig it up for me. Oh, uh, this." Then Bonnie brought out a flyer for a fraternity murder house party and I took it from her to get a better look.

"Oh, nice, the answer to all of our problems. A frat party: douche central." Damon said with a smirk while rubbing his hands together, "Which is why, you'll be eating very well. So what should we go as? Victims or killers?"

* * *

Later that night, Bonnie, Damon, and I walked into the frat house that was hosting the party and we were immediately giving Bloody Mary's and greeted by some frat guy.

"Hey. I'm Frankie, unassuming serial killer." Frankie said

"I'm Jack. " Damon said as Bonnie and I took a sip of our drinks, "And these are the two lovely ladies I just... Rippered."

"Welcome to the murder house, Bloody Marys free until midnight." Frankie told us before walking away

"Well hats off to these idiots." Damon said, taking off his top hat and putting it back on, "Oh look, there's professor creepy."

Bonnie and I turned to see who Damon was talking about and saw Professor Shane talking with a few students.

"His names professor Shane. And he's not creepy." Bonnie said, handing me her drink, "I'm gonna go talk to him."

"You do that." Damon said as Bonnie walked away

"Inebriated sleezeballs all covered in on. Pick one." Damon said

I looked at different people around the room until I saw one guy slipping something into a girls drink.

" I think I found one." I told Damon

"Roofie guy?" Damon asked me and I nodded, "Nice choice. Go get him."

I walked over to the guy and 'anciently' bumped into him.

"Oh.. I'm sorry... Drink?" I said, handing him Bonnie's drink

"Sure." he said and I smiled at him before walking into an empty room

"I'll be right back." I heard him say to the girl he had been talking to before following after me, "Great party right?"

" Yeah." I smiled before pushing him against the wall and compelling him, "You're not gonna make a sound." Than I sank my teeth into his neck and began to drink deeply.

"Now remember the idea is not to kill him." I heard Damon say when he came into the room, "Audrey." I ignored Damon and continued to drink, "Step away from the ledge."

Finally I pulled away from the guy and compelled him again, "Leave and forget about this."

" Nice touch." Damon said with a smirk before asking,"How do you feel?"

" I feel good." I said with a smile

I ran up to Damon and wrapped my arms around him and I felt Damon do the same.

"I want more." I whispered into his ear

* * *

Damon and I went to the dance floor to find more people to feed on as ' Feel So Close' by Calvin Harris started to play. I saw a girl dancing by herself and went up to her while Damon went to find someone else.

" Don't scream." I compelled her, " This isn't going to hurt."

I drank from her for a few moments before pulling away and starting to dance.

_I feel so close to you right now_  
_It's a force field_  
_I wear my heart upon my sleeve, like a big deal_  
_Your love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall_  
_And there's no stopping us right now_  
_I feel so close to you right now_

Damon came up to me and I smiled, wrapping my arms around his neck before we started dancing together. I saw blood dripping around his mouth and I wiped some of the blood off with my finger before licking it off of my finger. We continued to dance until Bonnie came over to us.

"Audrey." Bonnie said

" Bonnie." I said with a laugh, " Isn't this place amazing?"

" Uh, yeah." Bonnie said unenthusiastically, " Can I talk to you for a minute?"

"Sure." I told her before turning to Damon and saying, " I'll be right back." and heading outside with Bonnie

* * *

When we were far enough away from the fraternity house Bonnie stopped and turned to look at me.

" What is wrong with you?" Bonnie asked me

" Nothing is wrong with me Bonnie." I told her, " I feel fantastic."

" Audrey, do you hear yourself?" Bonnie asked, " You feel fantastic because you are drinking from all these unsuspecting people."

As Bonnie talked I started to sober up.

" Oh my, God." I said, " Why am I acting like this?"

" Because you listen to Damon and Damon makes everything he wants sound like a good idea." Bonnie told me

" You're making him out to be a bad person and he's not." I said to her

" Yes he is!" Bonnie snapped

Someone cleared their throat and we looked to see Damon standing a few feet away from us.

" I'm guessing we should hit the road." Damon said

" You were supposed to help her and you let her get completely out of control." Bonnie said, walking up to Damon

" She's not out of control she was having fun." Damon told Bonnie

" This isn't fun." Bonnie said, " She's acting like a different person!"

" She is a different person." Damon snapped at her, " She's a vampire, we're a predatory species. We enjoy the hunt, the feed, and the kill. And when the guilt gets to bad we switch off our humanity and we revel in it."

" Is that what you want?" Bonnie asked him, " Her to be like you?"

" She already is like me." Damon told her, " And you know what makes me able to drink my fill and leave someone breathing and not rip their head off like my brother? It's that I can revel in it. I can make it fun."

When he was finished, Damon pushed past Bonnie and didn't even look my way as he walked past me.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Back in Mystic Falls, Stefan had spent his entire day learning everything he possibly could about 'The Five'. Stefan headed to the Mikaelson Mansion and, upon arriving, he found that Klaus had Connor chained up in one of the back. After making sure that Connor was efficiently tied up and under the watch of some hybrid, Klaus left the room to talk to Stefan.

Klaus promised to tell Stefan all he needed to know about 'The Five' if and only if he brought Rebekah back to the mansion since she also knew a considerable amount about the hunters. This turned out to be relatively easy since all Stefan had to do was promise Rebekah a clean slate to get her to go back to Klaus's mansion with him. With everyone back at the mansion Klaus held a dinner so they could comfortably talk. Throughout the dinner, Stefan learned that the last time 'The Five' had been on the Originals radar was in the twelfth century when Rebekah had fallen in love with one of them, his name being Alexander, and when the tattoos had been visible for anyone to see.

Stefan also found out that after much...persuasion from Rebekah, Alexander had told her that his tattoos were actually a map, and his sword was the key to said map, that led to the cure for telling Rebekah though, Alexander and the rest of the hunters staked the Originals with white oak ash dipped daggers. The daggers effected all of the Originals except for Klaus, who quickly killed every one of 'The Five' before undaggering his siblings.

Stefan asked why Klaus or Rebekah had never gone after the cure and Klaus told him that once the hunters had died their tattoos disappeared and since there was no map, there was no way to find the cure. Now the map was back with one minor difference, it was now completely invisible. Fortunately Klaus had a solution for this, unfortunately the solution was the freshly kidnapped Jeremy Gilbert, who was the only person in Mystic Falls that could see Connor's tattoo and that also happened to be a fantastic artist. Soon after the arrival of Jeremy, Klaus and Rebekah had a fight and Rebekah stormed out of the mansion before telling anyone where Alexander's sword was.

When Jeremy had finished drawing Connor's tattoo, Stefan brought him back to the Gilbert household. Stefan made sure to compel Jeremy to forget everything that had happened with Klaus and Connor, and Stefan also made sure to tell Elena that Jeremy had been with him when she asked where Jeremy had been for the last few hours.

Now, Stefan was back at the boarding house, pouring himself a drink, when Rebekah walked in.

"I got your message." Rebekah said as she walked into the parlor, " I'm sorry. I know you wanted my help; he just makes me so angry."

" No one deserved to be treated that way." Stefan told her

" I wanted it back then. The cure. I was willing to leave my family for it." Rebekah said, taking the drink Stefan offered her before continuing, " Would you take it if you had the chance? So you could grow old with Elena?"

" If it meant that I get to be with her, have children, grow old with her. If it meant that we could die together, be buried together, than yes. I'd take the cure." Stefan said, " But than there's Audrey. She is trying so hard to control her blood lust so she doesn't kill anyone, but Damon's right. There's not a single vampire who hasn't killed a human. Audrey will kill, then there will be the pain, the guilt, and then..."

" The humanity switch." Rebekah finished for Stefan and he nodded

"But, Audrey, she's driving by love, by compassion. If she turns off her humanity then I don't think we'll ever get her back." Stefan said

" I envy that. Your friendship with Audrey. I especially envy you and Elena, the love you share." Rebekah said, "You know, I really did believe Alex when he said he loved me. He promised that we'd be even picked out a church. Salmatorane in Briano. I know you want my help Stefan, but I just can't do anything that lets my brother gets what he wants." Rebekah took a moment to take a sip of the drink Stefan had given her before continuing, " I buried him. Even after everything. I laid him to rest in the place where we were to be married. What kind of hopeless fool does that?" Rebekah suddenly broke out of her reverie when she realized what she had just said, " But that's what you wanted to know, isn't it? Because I buried him with his sword."

" I'm sorry, little sister, but you're right." Klaus said as he walked into the room, " You really are a hopeless romantic."

Then Klaus brought out a silver dagger which he dipped in white oak ash. Rebekah tried to run past him and out of the boarding house but Stefan stopped her.

" I'm sorry, Rebekah." Stefan apologized

Knowing there was no escape, Rebekah turned to face her brother.

" Go right ahead. Laugh at the girl who loved to easily." She told Klaus, " But I would rather have lived my life than yours, Nik. No one will ever sit around a table telling stories about a man who couldn't love. Do it. Look me in the eye and do it. Do it!"

Without looking Rebekah in the eyes, Klaus stabbed her in the heart with the dagger.

* * *

Stefan covered Rebekah's body, which he had moved to the couch, with a sheet while Klaus was in the other room making a call.

" I have a plane waiting." Klaus said as he came back into the room, " I'll get the sword. My hybrids will keep an eye on Connor. You put Rebekah somewhere where no one will find her."

"I'll take care of it." Stefan said

" No one must know about the cure, do you understand? Not Damon. Not Audrey. Not Elena. Nobody. If this gets out, it could mean all our deaths." Klaus told Stefan., " So if you tell anyone, I'll erase each and every memory from the lot of you."

" I won't say anything." Stefan assured him

" It's just you and me in this, Stefan." Klaus said, " Some secrets are stronger than family."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

After long and painfully silent car ride back to Mystic Falls, Damon and I walked onto the porch in front of my house.

" Well, goodnight." Damon said before turning to leave

" Damon." I said, making him turn to face me, " I'm sorry. I got a little out of control at the party and I shouldn't have let that happen. It's just that I - I feel like..."

" How do you feel, Audrey?" Damon asked me

" When you tell me what a vampire should be, I believe you." I told him, " I think you're right and I hate that feeling because I don't want to be..."

" You don't want to be like me." Damon cut me off

"It's not like that, Damon." I said, " It's just...it's not like me to be like that. I was actually having fun drinking from those people and I feel awful because of it."

" It will get easier, Audrey." Damon told me

" But I don't want it to be easier." I said, slowly starting to break down, " I can't live like this. I'm feeling things that I don't want to feel and I'm becoming someone that I don't want to become." As I continued to speak I felt a few tears spill over and make their way down my cheeks, " I don't think I'm going to survive this."

" Hey." Damon said, wiping a stray tear away with his thumb, " You will survive this. I'll make sure of it."

I didn't say a word as Damon wrapped his arm around me.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

After escaping from his chains and killing Nate, the hybrid Klaus had put on Connor detail, Connor made his way to the office of Professor Shane at Whitmore College.

" Shouldn't you be in Mystic Falls killing vampires?" Professor Shane asked as Connor came in

" Why the hell did you send me there?" Connor asked him angrily but Professor Shane only smirked at Connor in reply.

**Author's Note**

**Sorry, again, for being so late in updating this story. Lately I have been a lot more busy than usual and my writing has suffered because of it. Luckily it's Thanksgiving break so I hope to get all caught up by the next episode. Speaking of...**

_**Warning-If you are a strong Stelena fan please skip over this part of my A/N.**_

_**OMFG! Stefan and Elena are OVER! Finally! Just in time too, the Miss Mystic Falls Pageant is back in the next episode. YEAH! And in another interesting turn of events Caroline and Klaus are going on a date, which means there is hope for Klaroline yet and maybe even Tyler/ Haley ( Taley? Hyler?). And one of the most important things in the newest episode: KATHERINE! Even though she was only a hallucination it was still great to see my favorite doppelgänger again. Well, that's enough obsessing for now.**_

**Now back to the normal A/N:**

**Please leave me a review and tell me what you though of the chapter. Review! Review! Review! And until next time...**

**Audrey;D**


	5. The Killer

**Chapter Five- The Killer**

**Third Person P.O.V**

Connor walked into his trailer and looked around to see that a lot of his things happened to be missing and he assumed that one of the many vampires in the town took them. He set a sheet, which contained the head of Nate the hybrid, down on his table as he thought about the conversation he had with Professor Shane the night before.

**_*Flashback*_**

" Do you have any idea what I've been through?" Connor snapped, " I've spent the last the last two days chained up by and Original vampire."

" So, you met Klaus? I only know him by reputation." Shane said, " Apparently he's a real monster."

"He's a vampire-werewolf hybrid." Connor told him, " Do you have any idea how hard it is to kill one of them?"

"From what I gather, you have to remove their head or their heart." Shane said before adding, " That is according to lore. I'm just speculating."

" I could have used some of that occult Professor knowledge of yours." Connor said angrily, " Then again, you've always been slow when it comes to providing answers."

" We had a deal." Professor Shane reminded Connor, " I'll give you answers about your hunters mark when it's grown to it's completion."

"In other words, kill as many vampires as I can."

"Come on Connor, why do you think I brought you to Mystic Falls? There's no shortage of vampires. The town is practically infested." Professor Shane said, "Listen, there's a witch mixed up in all of this. She's important to what I have planned. I want to be kept out of harm's way."

"Anybody gets in my way. Anybody. They're dead." Connor said seriously as Shane sat back in his chair

"Okay. Sure, I'll occupy her myself." Shane said, "Just do what you do. The less I know about it, the better."

_*** End Flashback***_

Now Connor was making his way towards Mystic Grill while he held a duffel bag full of weapons he had hidden in his trailer along with a fresh batch of werewolf venom he had gotten from Nate earlier.

* * *

Inside of the Grill, Jeremy and Elena were talking as Jeremy was setting up to open up the Grill since it was the only time they could actually talk. They walked into the backroom of the Grill as Jeremy carried a bin of dishes.

" So what were you and Stefan doing yesterday?" Elena asked as Jer set down the bin of dishes

" You know, just hanging out and talking." Jeremy answered vaguely which confused Elena a little

Before Elena could respond, both her and Jeremy heard a noise. Elena turned to see what it was but found that nothing was there, when she turned back around she saw that Connor had a knife to Jeremy's throat.

" Move or say a sound and I'll kill your brother." Connor told her, " Do I have your guys attention?" Elena and Jeremy nodded in reply, " Good. Then let's talk about vampires."

* * *

Stefan was sitting in his room, writing in his journal, when his phone vibrates. He grabbed it and looked down at the screen to see that Klaus sent him a text.

' We have a problem'

* * *

" How the hell did Connor escape?" Stefan asked Klaus over the phone

" I'd blame my hybrids numbing incompetence, but pointing fingers isn't going to help me, you're going to help me." Klaus replied

"Well, he could be anywhere now." Stefan told him

"Think, Stefan." Klaus said, "He took the hybrid's head which means he wants werewolf toxin."

"Which means he plans to stay in Mystic Falls to kill vampires." Stefan realized

"Which is a pity, as I'm half the world away digging up a dead hunter, you'll have no access to my blood and therefore, the antidote." Klaus said, "Nevertheless, his tattoo is our only map to the cure, so your task is quite simple; find him, catch him, and above all, keep him alive. He's no good to us dead."

"Damon's been looking everywhere for him, if they cross paths…." Stefan started but Klaus quickly cut him off

"You'll need to keep Damon in check." Klaus told Stefan

"Be a lot easier if I could just tell him the truth." Stefan said

" You trust Damon with the cure?" Klaus questioned him, "I imagine he prefers Audrey the way she is."

"Nice try, Klaus." Stefan said, "But I trust Damon a hell of a lot more than I trust you."

"And I trust no one. Which is why my sister is lying daggered in a box." Klaus reminded Stefan, "The more who find out about the cure, the more who will go after it. Nations have gone to war over less. You mark my words, tell one soul and I will throw the hunter's sword in the Mediterranean and we can end this quest right now. Am I understood?"

Stefan didn't respond before hanging up his phone.

* * *

" Really, Jeremy? You're half an hour late." Matt said, leaving a voicemail on Jeremy's cell as he's setting up the main room of the Grill so he can open, " Get here now!"

Matt hung up his phone as April walks in.

" Matt." April said, grabbing the attention of Matt

"Uh, hey, April." Matt greeted, "We don't open until eleven."

" Oh, sorry, I wasn't like trying to scare you or stalk you or whatever." April told him, "I just – I came to ask if you've seen Rebekah."

"Why would I have seen Rebekah?" Matt asked her

"Oh, I just assumed… I mean, aren't you guys kind of like a thing?" April said

"Rebekah and I are not a thing." Matt scoffed

"Well, I – I mean I'm worried about her." April said as she walked towards Matt, "She said she'd help me find stuff out about the fire that killed my dad and then she just – disappeared."

Suddenly Connor pushed Elena and Jeremy into the room. Matt and April turned around when they heard the noise and where shocked by what they saw.

" Trust me." Connor said, grabbing Jeremy from behind and holding the knife to his throat again, " That's the least of your problems."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I woke up the morning after Damon, Bonnie, and I had taken a trip tp Whitmore College to the sound of a completely empty house which was weird since someone was usually around. I quickly changed into a pair of skinny jeans, a gray long sleeve shirt, and a pair of black flats before grabbing my leather jacket and heading towards the door. I was about to walk out of my room when Damon came walking in.

" Uh, hello." I said as he walked past me, " What are you doing?"

" Where's Stefan?" Damon asked instead of answering my question

"Okay, uh, good morning to you too." I said

"He's not answering his phone and he's not here, which you know, big deal, we've only got a killer vampire hunter on the loose." Damon told me

" I have no idea where he is. I haven't seen him since yesterday." I said before suggesting,"Maybe he's with Elena."

" Maybe." Damon said, bringing out his phone and dialing Elena's number, " Strait to voicemail."

" Let me try." I said as I took my phone out of my pocket.

I called both Stefan and Elena but neither of them answered. I looked up at Damon in concern.

"So, either they're dodging both of us..." Damon started

" Or something's wrong."

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" Sit down." Connor ordered Elena, April, and Matt as he continued to hold Jeremy in a headlock, " SIT DOWN!"

When the three were seated, Connor pushed Jeremy into a chair next to the rest of them.

" Jeremy, give me your phone." Connor said

"At least let April go." Elena pleaded, " She doesn't have anything to do with this."

"She has everything to do with this. Her and her father." Connor told Elena as Jeremy handed Connor his phone, "Plus, she and I have history."

" What are you talking about?" Aprilasked ,afraid of the lunatic in front of her, "I've never seen you before in my life."

" Well, you kids need to get some vervain. And don't just wear it as a bracelet where anybody can just take it off." Connor said looking down at Jeremy, "Maybe then you'd remember our conversation at the hybrid's yesterday."

"Our conversation?" Jeremy asked in confusion, "Are you saying someone compelled me?!"

" Would someone please tell me what he's talking about?" April said to Elena and Matt

" Compulsion, secrets, vampires." Conner told her

" If you know so much, then you know that our friends will come for us." Matt told Connor

" Oh, yeah, I'm counting on it. Every vampire that comes for you is another one I get to kill." Connor said before looking down at Jeremy's phone, "Now, who should I text first? Hm? Damon Salvatore, his brother Stefan,Tyler Lockwood, your cousin Audrey? Nah, all of the above."

'Hunter at Mystic Grill with hostages. They all die at sundown.' Connor sent to Damon, Stefan, Tyler, and Audrey before setting Jeremy's phone down and stabbing it with one of his knives.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

Damon and I had both gotten text from Jeremy's phone saying that Connor was at the Grill with hostages. A few moments later I got a call from Tyler who told me that he had gotten the text as well. I told Tyler that Damon and I would meet him at his house and that he should call Caroline and have her come also before hanging up and texting Aurora and Stefan the same thing. On the drive to Tyler's I tried to focus on the Grill to see if I could get a vision so I could find out who else Connor had as hostages. Unfortunately all I kept seeing was Jeremy and Elena which was just more bad news. I texted Stefan multiple times about Elena but he never replied, which really pissed me off. When everyone, excluding Stefan, was at Tyler's house, Damon came up with a plan to get back Elena, Jeremy, and anyone else Connor had.

"So, we each take a different entrance; hit them at the same time." Damon said to Tyler, Aurora, and I

Stefan walked into the room and everyone looked up at him.

" Oh, now he shows up." I said angrily

" Where the hell have you been?" Damon asked his brother

" Coming up with a plan." Stefan answered

" We have a plan." Aurora told him

" Yep." Damon said, "The plan is I'm gonna rip Connor's heart out and I'm going to feed it to him."

"That's not a plan. We need to be careful." Stefan said, "Connor has Jeremy, Elena, and who knows how many other hostages."

" Hence the open heart surgery." Damon said

"Damon's right. Connor's strong, but he's not going to be able to take all of us." I told Stefan

" I called in the hybrids to help too." Tyler said

"My mom put squad cars blocking the streets." Caroline said as she walked into the room, "They're saying it's a faulty gas main. We're good to go."

" Good, great. No cops, no witnesses, no reason to wait around." Damon said

" You're not all going." Stefan told us

"He shot me like nine times." Tyler reminded Stefan,"If we're killing him, I want in."

" He's got Jeremy and Elena." I told him, " I'm going."

"Listen, nobody is going anywhere until I figure out what we're walking into." Stefan told us

"Until _you _figure it out?" Damon said, "Is that where you've been all morning? Out buying bossy pants."

"This guy is known for setting traps, right?" Stefan said, "We'd be pretty dumb to walk into one, especially if he has werewolf venom."

"Does he?" I asked him

"He's had it before." Stefan told me

"Fine. Fine, if you want to take some time to do recon, you get one hour. But we're gonna need some extra help." Damon said, "So, where the hell's the Wicked Witch of the West?"

" She can't do magic." Aurora told him

"Really? Well, call her, tell her Jeremy's and Elena's lives are in danger; maybe that will bring her out of retirement." Damon said before walking out of the room

After Damon was out of the room I walked up to Stefan.

" If anything happens to Elena and Jeremy in the next hour I will personally make your life a living hell for the unforeseeable future." I told him furiously, " Understood?" Stefan nodded slowly, taken aback by my sudden hostility, " Good. You've got an hour, Stefan. Make it count."

With that I left the room and went to catch up with Damon.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

After leaving Tyler's,Stefan called Klaus to fill him in about Connor and the hostages.

" You expect me to care about bloody hostages?" Klaus asked angrily

" Well, you should." Stefan said as he walked across the town square, " Damon does. So does Audrey, Caroline, Tyler, and Aurora. If any of them get to Connor, then you just wasted a trip to Italy. I can buy us some time but Damon and Audrey are getting antsy. So if you want Connor alive, you better get your hybrids on board with my plan."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

Damon and I had gone over to Alaric's loft and I was watching Stefan as he talked to someone over the phone.

"Who is he talking to?" I asked Damon as he looked for any weapons Alaric had left

" Bonnie, hopefully." Damon said, pulling out a map and spreading it out on Ric's table " Maybe she decided to be useful again."

" What is that?" I asked, walking over to get a better look

"It's our way in." He told me, " Courtesy of Alaric Saltzman's interest in the Mystic Falls Underground Railroad."

" The tunnels, like the ones in the Lockwood cellar."

" Yep." Damon said as he took a picture of the map with his phone

My phone started ringing so I pulled it out of my pocket to see that it was Stefan. I answered it and put it on speaker.

" What did you find out?" I asked him

" I can only make out the voices." Stefan said

" How many hostages?" Damon asked

" Four." Stefan told us, " But Audrey, it's Matt and April Young."

" What?"

" Those two idiots." Damon said, "They're like danger magnets."

" We have to get them out of there." I said

" I just need a little more time." Stefan told us

"Well, the clock's ticking, brother." Damon told him

" You know, I could do with out the colored commentary." Stefan snapped before handing up

"I'm going in these tunnels." I told Damon as I headed towards the door

"No, you're not." Damon said, grabbing my wrist, " This guy knows you're a vampire. He'll kill you on the spot."

" Don't treat me like I can't take care of myself." I snapped, pulling my arm out of Damon's grip, " Alaric trained me and I've been practicing."

" So what?" Damon asked as I started to walk towards the door again, " Now you're gonna take on a professional killer?" I stopped and turned to look at him again. Then Damon ran over to the bed, grabbed a crossbow, and pointed it at my head, " Bang, you're dead. Now what?"

I ran and knocked the crossbow out of his hand before pushing him down onto the bed. I grabbed the crossbow and I straddled Damon as I pointed the crossbow at his heart.

" Head shots no good, it has to be the heart. So now you're dead." I said, making Damon smile

" For someone who doesn't want to be like me, you sure are good at it." Damon told me, pushing the crossbow away so it wasn't pointing at his heart.

" Jeremy and Elena are the only thing holding me together right now, Damon." I told him, "If anything happens to them..."

"We'll get them out." Damon said, " I promise."

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Back in the Grill, Connor was pouring werewolf venom into a jar as Jeremy, Elena, Matt,and April sat at a table a few feet away from him.

"He's clearly delusional." April said, "I mean, right? All this – all this talk about vampires, but I mean, he mentioned my dad."

"Hey, this guy's a nut job, okay?" Elena said to April in an attempt to keep her calm, "Don't let him get in your head."

"What if he knows something?" April asked, turning to Jeremy, "Jeremy, did he say anything to you about why he's doing this?"

" I don't know." Jeremy told her, "Maybe. Maybe I just can't remember."

" Let it go." Matt said to Jeremy as he got up and headed over to Connor, " Jeremy!"

"You said we had a conversation yesterday." Jeremy said to Connor

"Mmhmm." Connor replied as he poured werewolf venom into another jar.

"About what?" Jeremy asked

"We'll get into that." Connor said, "First, take a look at my handy work. Pick up some tips from the hunter's trade."

"What is all that?" Jeremy asked looking down at the bomb Connor had made

"The fluid is derived from werewolf toxin." Connor explained, "Trip the wire, bomb goes off, nails deliver a lethal dose into the bloodstream."

"And what's the point?" Jeremy asked, "What do you get out of all this?"

"You know, I used to think that there was no 'get'; that I was just supposed to do. Kill vampires." Connor told Jeremy, "That was until I realized that the mark held the answer to why I'm the way I am. The more I kill, the more it grows and once it's complete, I'll know my story and – and all of this will have meant something." Then he turned to look at Elena, April, and Matt, "Hey! We're gonna have visitors soon, you three get in the back. Get up! MOVE!"

April and Matt got up instantly but Elena stayed where she was.

" I'm not going anywhere without my brother." She told Connor

" Fine, stay in the path of destruction, I don't care." Connor said to her, then turning to April and Matt, "Before you think about any other exits, I got every door rigged. Got it?"

Matt nodded as he led April to the back room.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I was standing by the window, looking down at the Grill, when Damon came over to me.

"Stefan is on his way." Damon told me, "This will be over soon."

" Will it? I mean, haven't we already been here before with Jeremy?" I said, "Isn't this why we sent him to Denver?"

"Well, we'll get him out of this and we'll compel him down to the Bahamas." Damon joked, "Maybe he'll find an island girl."

I just rolled my eyes at him, to upset to laugh.

"Did you find the tunnel map?" Stefan asked as he came into the loft

" Got it. It was in his weapons drawer with seven stakes, some weird MacGyver crossbow, and the last remaining vervain in Mystic Falls." Damon told him, "So how about we get this party started."

"Not yet. Klaus is sending one of his men." Stefan said, "He'll take the front, you and I can take the tunnels."

"Since when did we team up with Klaus and the Lollipop Guild?" Damon asked Stefan

"Well, I already told you, Connor has werewolf venom." Stefan told him, "We need someone to draw his fire, the hybrids are immune to it so they're our best bets."

"Well, how are you sure that he even has werewolf venom?" Damon questioned, "Why is Klaus involved, Stefan?"

"Stop being paranoid, Damon." Stefan said

"Start telling the truth, Stefan." Damon countered, "Why is Klaus involved? Did he compel you?"

"I am telling you the truth." Stefan said, "This is the best way to get everyone out."

"Okay, what is with you two?" I snapped, "We're wasting time."

"You know what, she's right." Damon said, "Screw your plan. I'll kill Connor myself."

" I'm coming with you." I said and we both headed for the door

Before we made it to the door I was stabbed in the back with something and I was engulfed in pain. I fell to fall but I was unconcious before I hit the ground.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

In the Grill, the phone started to ring and Jeremy headed over to answer it but Connor stopped him and answered it himself.

" We're closed." Connor said

"I want you to free the hostages." Stefan told Connor as he walked through the woods toward the Lockwood Cellar.

"I'll free them as soon as you give me what I want." Connor said, "You and everyone like you dead."

"What? So your hunter's mark can grow?" Stefan asked, shocking Connor, "Yeah, I know all about that. What it means, what you are. Listen, if you free the hostages then you and I can have a little chat. I'll even tell you about the brotherhood of the Five."

"That's a weak move." Connor scoffed,"You must be desperate."

"Think about it, Connor." Stefan said, "Klaus saved your life. He needs you alive. Aren't you the least bit curious why?"

Instead of responding, Connor slams the phone down and shoved it off of the bar.

* * *

"When I was a kid, my dad used to tell me these scary stories about vampires." April said as Matt moved around the back room grabbing some tools out of a tool chest

"They're just stories." Matt lied, pulling a shelf away from the wall

"Not to that man out there." April said, "There's something so familiar about him."

"Look, this is a messed up situation, but the last thing you want to do is buy into that guy's craziness." Matt said, pulling a panel off of the wall, " You're gonna be fine. We're getting out of here."

"What is that?" April asked him

"There used to be an exit to the old wine cellar." Matt said, looking inside the small room, "They bricked it over."

"So, that's it then?" April asked, "We're screwed."

"No, we're not screwed." Matt said, grabbing a hammer and starting to hit the bricks

* * *

As Stefan walked through the tunnels he heard the sound of Matt hitting the bricks and started to walk towards it.

* * *

" There's no sign of anyone." Dean, another one of Klaus's hybrids, said to Klaus as he walked up to the front entrance of the Grill

"Stefan is coming at him from the other side." Klaus told Dean, "He'll free the hostages, your job is to get Connor out alive. And use caution, mate. He favors booby traps and ambushes."

" Understood."

* * *

While Connor set up the last bomb, Jeremy saw a stake Connor left on the bar and he started to walk toward it.

"You may be a potential hunter, but if you make one move, I'll break all twenty-seven bones in your hand." Connor warned him

" They're all not bad, you know." Elena said to Connor, earning a glare in return

" She's right, some of them are my friends." Jeremy told Connor

"Your friends, huh? Yeah, I had a friend like that once." Connor said, "She got turned by this vampire I was hunting. He thought it would be ironic."

" What happened to her?" Elena asked curiously, getting up from her seat and walking over to Jeremy

I didn't want to hurt her. She promised that she would keep it under control, but… a vampire's like a loaded gun. Eventually it's gonna go off." Connor said before showing Jeremy his tattoo, "That's why I got this."

" So, you killed your own friend?!" Jeremy asked

" Listen, if you're gonna be like me, you need to understand. Vampires kill humans, hunters kill vampires." Connor said, then the three of them heard a noise coming from the other side of the door, " We've got company."

Connor turned off the lights and turned on some music before grabbing Jeremy and Elena and throwing them both to the ground. Dean opened the front door and looked around to see a trip wire which was connected to a bomb. Dean carefully stepped over the trip wire and onto a mat which then activated the bomb anyway. Dean shut the door behind him and took one step off the mat, causing it to go off and send him flying through the air. He got to his knees; now completely covered in nails, blood, and glass, and looked up at Connor as he walked towards him. Before Dean could move at all, Connor shot him in the chest leaving a huge hole where his heart used to be, killing Dean instantly.

* * *

" Oh my God." Matt said at the sound of the explosion

April backed up in shock and bumped into someone. She whirled around and was about to scream when Stefan put his hand over her mouth to keep her quiet. Stefan took his hand away when he knew April would stay quiet and then took Damon's phone out of his pocket.

"Follow this map and get out of here." Stefan said, handing Damon's phone to Matt, " Take her to Caroline so she can..."

" Okay." Matt said, grabbing April and walking away. When they are at the entrance to the tunnel Matt stopped and turned to look at Stefan again, " Stefan, that guy is armed. If you go out there, he's gonna kill Jeremy and Elena."

"No one's killing anyone. Go." Stefan said, walking out of the room

* * *

Jeremy and Elena walked over to Connor as he took off his jacket. He looked down at his arm and could see that his tattoo was growing. Connor looked up from his tattoo in time to see Stefan walking out from the back room and he quickly grabbed Elena. Connor shot at Stefan as he ran across the Grill, grabbed Jeremy, and hid behind the bar. Connor pushed Elena away from him and onto another mat, activating another bomb, before walking towards the bar with his gun pointed at Stefan.

" Connor, you don't have to do this!" Stefan yelled

" Stefan!" Elena called, standing still as she looked at the bombs that were set up right next to her.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

"Son of a bitch." I groaned in pain as I came to

I looked around and saw that I was on Ric's bed while Damon was unconscious on the couch. Stefan must have used Alaric's vervain darts on us. I heard Damon groan from his spot on the couch so I got up and walked over to him.

" Damon, hey." I said, " Can you get up?"

"Ooh, where's Stefan? I'm gonna kill him." Damon said as he sat up slowly, his skin burning when the rays of sunlight coming though the window touched it, " Ow! Ow!"

"He took your ring?" I asked, looking down at my hand to see that my ring was still on my finger, " But not mine. Why would he do that?"

" Because he's playing us." Damon said, rolling off of the couch and moving to sit on the arm of the couch, far away from the sunlight, " All this stalling, getting hybrids, taking my ring, add it up. He's either made a deal with Klaus or he's compelled."

" Then I need to get in there." I said, turning to leave

" No, Audrey, this guy is dangerous!" Damon told me

" So am I, Damon!" I snapped, turning to look at him

"Then you need to be smart." Damon said, " He knows that you're a vampire. You have to get as close as possible without him seeing you and then you kill him.

* * *

I walked up to the Grill and when I got to the entrance, I tucked my hair behind my ear and started to listen to the conversation.

" Connor, we can end this right now." I heard Stefan say, " Just put the gun down and come with me."

" Sure." Connor said sarcastically, " Come out, I'll hand the gun over."

"Think about this. No one has to die." Stefan said, "I'll tell you everything you need to know!"

" I don't make deals with vampires!" Connor yelled

"Listen to me, if you die right now, then your whole life, all that killing; it'll all be for nothing." Stefan told him

'Why the hell wasn't Stefan just killing him?' I thought as I continued to listen to their conversation

" I can give you the truth." Stefan said, " Just put the gun down and let Jeremy and Elena go."

" How about I just shoot your girl." Connor threatened, " On the count of three. One! Two!"

Before Connor could get to three, I rushed into the Grill and tackled him to the ground, barely registering the sound of a gun going off as I did so. I grabbed Connor by the throat and started choking him when a bomb went off.

" Jeremy? Elena?" I called, looking away from Connor

Connor took advantage of my distraction and threw me to the side, rolling on top of me and grabbing me by the hair. He brought out a stake and was about to drive it through my heart when I grabbed his wrist and fought back. The stake was about a millimeter away from my chest when Stefan knocked Connor off of me. I got to my feet and looked around the Grill for Connor and Stefan but they were gone.

" Audrey!" Jeremy cried out and I saw him kneeling down next to Elena, the latter bleeding from a wound in her stomach

I ran over to them and bit into my wrist before feeding Elena my blood. I pulled back when she had gotten enough and looked down at her wound to see that it was starting to heal. I was suddenly overcome by the smell of Elena's blood and I could tell that my eyes were turning red and that veins were starting to pop up underneath them.

" I'm sorry." I said, backing up and turning away as my eyes turned back to normal

" Hey, it's okay." Elena told me, " You don't have to hide it. I know you're not going to hurt me."

"How did this happen anyway?" I asked, turning back to look at them again, " Did Connor come after you because you're a potential? "

" Yeah." Jeremy replied," He said I was like him because I could see his tattoo."

" His what?" Elena asked in confusion

" His hunter's mark. It's invisible to everyone but Jeremy." I told Elena, " Stefan didn't tell you about it?"

" No." Elena said, shaking her head, "Wait, who else knows about this?"

"Well, that's the thing, I don't even know." Jeremy told me and Elena, "Apparently, I was with Connor all day yesterday, but I can't remember. Someone compelled me."

" I think I know who." I said angrily, standing up

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Stefan led Connor through the tunnels but he stopped when he saw Damon in front of him.

" Good work, brother." Damon said when he saw Connor

" It's over, Damon." Stefan said, " I have him."

" Not after what I just went through." Damon said angrily, " I had to punch through a boiler room basement into a septic tank to get into this stupid tunnel. But it'll be worth it."

" I'm taking him with me." Stefan said

"That's the thing, you're not." Damon told his brother, "I don't know what you're up to or what Klaus has over you, but even if I have to go through you, I'm gonna kill him."

"You better back off, Damon." Stefan warned him

"Why? Because Klaus wants him alive?" Damon asked

"This has nothing to do with Klaus." Stefan lied, "You're just gonna have to trust me on that."

"I don't want to. I don't have to. Not gonna." Damon said, "Now, give him to me, brother."

"Run as fast as you can!" Stefan told Connor, pushing him away before running at Damon and pinning him to a wall, "You're not gonna kill him."

Seeing that Connor was gone, Damon pushed Stefan into another wall and grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Why are you protecting him?! Tell me." Damon demanded but Stefan didn't say a word. Then Damon shoved his hand into Stefan's chest and grabbed his heart, "Tell me."

"Klaus will kill anyone who knows." Stefan said

"Then it has to be good. Spill it!" Damon said, squeezing Stefan's heart, "Spill it!"

"Connor's tattoo is the key to a cure." Stefan told him breathlessly

" A cure for what?" Damon asked, still holding onto Stefan's heart

"For her. For Audrey." Stefan said

"Klaus told you there's a cure for vampirism?" Damon asked in shock, removing his had from Stefan's chest

"Yeah, and if Connor dies then we'll lose it forever. I know it's crazy, Damon. But it's hope, do you understand me? It's her only hope." Stefan said, breathing heavily

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I was walking through the tunnels, looking for Stefan, when Connor came running around the corner. I grabbed him and tore into his neck causing him to scream in pain.

"Stay the hell away from Jeremy and Elena." I said, pulling away and throwing him to the ground

"Look at you." Connor said, " So worried about your cousins. You're the biggest monster they'll ever meet."

Suddenly, Connor brought out a stake and drove it into my chest, barely missing my heart.

"You missed." I told him angrily before snapping his neck

* * *

When I realized what I had done to Connor, I brought him out of the tunnels and into the woods so I could make him a grave. As I was digging, tears were streaming down my cheeks.

"Audrey." I heard Damon say and I looked up to see him and Stefan coming towards me

" I need to bury him." I said as they looked down at Connor's lifeless body, " I killed him, I should- I should bury him."

Damon grabbed my arm gently but I just pushed him away.

" Hey, come on." Stefan said softly

" Don't!" I snapped at him, "I heard you talking to him. Making some secret deal with Klaus? You were supposed to protect Jeremy and Elena! Keep me from this. I thought that I could trust you, Stefan."

" Audrey, it's complicated." Damon told me

" No, it's not complicated, Damon!" I said angrily, " You want to know why? Because-because he's dead now. You told me to kill him and I did." At this I began to cry harder, " I-I killed someone. I killed someone."

* * *

Jeremy and Elena are sitting on a bench in the town square when Matt and a freshly compelled April came up to them.

" Hey guys." April greeted, " Sorry we're so late, we had to take this crazy detour."

"There was a gas leak." Matt said

"Yeah, we heard about that." Elena said

"Yeah, and we had to stop by Tyler Lockwood's house because we had to see Caroline. We talked to her for a little bit, but now I was thinking maybe we could all go get some coffee." April said, looking at the Grill and seeing that it was closed, "But the Grill is closed. That's weird."

" You know what, it's okay, I, uh, I need to get home anyways. I'm feeling a little over it today." Jeremy said as he and Elena stood up

"Yeah." Elena agreed

" I should probably get home too." Matt said

" Oh." April said, " Alright, then."

As April started to walk away, Jeremy dropped his vervain bracelet on the ground and picked it back up.

" Hey, April." Jeremy called and she turned around, " Did you drop this?"

" Oh, that's not mine." April said

" You sure?" Jeremy asked, " Hey, let me see your wrist."

April gave Jeremy her hand and he puts the bracelet on her wrist.

" Uh, thanks, but..." April started but Elena quickly cut her off

" I like it." She said, " It looks good on you. You should wear it."

" Okay." April said with a smile before walking off

"Are you okay?" Matt asked Elena

"Yeah." Elena told him and her, Matt, and Jeremy started to walk away from the town square, " I'm just sick off all the secrets, you know."

" Yeah, tell me about it." Matt said

Jeremy looked down at his wrist and stopped in his tracks when he saw the hunters mark on his hand.

" What?" Jeremy said to himself

"What's wrong?" Elena asked him

" Nothing." Jeremy lied

Matt and Elena gave him weird looks before walking away. Jeremy looked down at his hand once more and the tattoo was still there.

* * *

After Damon had dropped Audrey off at her house, he drove to the boarding house and was now in Stefan's room, sitting at his desk and reading one Stefan's journals.

" How is she?" Stefan asked Damon when he walked into the room

" Angry, full of guilt, hasn't said a word to me other than that she wants to be left alone." Damon told Stefan as he set the journal down on the desk

" Is that my journal?" Stefan asked, grabbing the journal and putting on the book shelf

" Had to go through six locks to get to it." Damon said, " I needed something to back up your insanity. You figure out how to tell Klaus you lost a hunter and a hybrid?"

" He's on a plane, which means I get to live for another six hours." Stefan told him

" Well, I got your back." Damon said, " You know, when he comes to murder you."

"Thanks." Stefan said, " Thanks for not saying anything to Audrey."

" About what? About the cure we don't have, can't find, and probably doesn't exist?" Damon asked, " You're welcome."

"She doesn't need to know that she killed her chance of being human again." Stefan said

"Alleged chance." Damon corrected him

"I believe him, Damon. You didn't hear Klaus' story." Stefan said, "I believed every word he said."

"Well, I'll remain a skeptic for now." Damon told him, " So what's your next move?"

"He said there was a Brotherhood of the Five, which means there are other hunters out there and I'm just gonna keep looking until I find one."

"Sure, Stefan, since you asked; I'd be happy to go on a suicide mission with you for a potentially non-existent cure." Damon said, "No problem."

"Yet a couple of hours ago, you were ready to rip my heart out." Stefan said with a laugh

"Because you were being a pain in the ass." Damon said, "Tell me one thing. Why do you want to cure her?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"A legitimate one. You want to cure her because she's a vampire and she's not cut out to be? Or you can't be friends with her if she is one?

"I'll always be her friend." Stefan said, " But she's not supposed to be this person. I don't want her to be."

"Well, if I'm gonna ride this fairy tale to its conclusion, I want to be clear about one thing." Damon said

"What's that?" Stefan asked

"I'm fine with her either way, brother. So, if I do this, I'm doing it for you." Damon told him before taking one last sip of his drink and walking out of the room.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

After I took a shower to clean off all of Connor's blood, I changed into my pajamas and laid in bed. As I was drifting off to sleep I felt something wet dripping onto my hand. I turned on my bedside lamp and saw that there was a drop of blood on my hand. Something on the floor caught my eye and I saw puddles of blood leading to the bathroom. I got out of bed and followed the trail, slowly opening the bathroom door before walking in. I turned on the lights and saw that the whole room was covered in blood and the mirror had the word 'KILLER' written on it with blood. I backed away and slipped in a puddle of blood, causing me to fall to the floor. When I looked up all the bathroom was clean and all the blood had disappeared.

"What the hell?"

* * *

**Author's Note**

** Well, there it is. I actually managed to put another chapter up before the weekend was done. Yay! I would like to thank everyone that reviewed, alerted, and favorited on the last chapter and any other chapter of this story. Please make sure to review guys. Until next time...**

**Audrey;D**


	6. We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes

**Thank you to Frenchy girl, SomebodyWhoCares, Nette Black Salvatore, Grape juice, and Pierperson9708 for reviewing. You guys don't now how much it means to me that you guys took the time to review. It appreciated.**

_**Disclaimer-I don't own the Vampire Diaries**_

**Chapter Six- We All Go A Little Mad Sometimes**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

After I was sure that I had only been imagining the blood in the bathroom, I headed back into my room to try and get some sleep. I tossed and turned for hours but I could not get to sleep. Eventually I got out of bed and walked downstairs to grab some warm mild to drink.

" Can't sleep?" someone asked as my cup of milk was heating up in the microwave

I turned around but no one was there. I jumped when the microwave beeped, turning back around to the microwave to take the cup out. I was about to take a sip when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. I turned and gasped when I saw Connor leaning against the counter, blood dripping down his neck and covering his shirt.

" You know it makes sense; guilty conscious." Connor said

"You're not here." I told him, "I – I've got to be dreaming."

"And how do you know that I'm not here?" Connor asked, walking towards me

" Because you're…" I started, taking a few steps back

" Go on, say it."

" Because you're dead." I finished

" Yes, I am. " Connor said, "Was that the first time that you've taken a human life?"

" You're a ghost. That's gotta be it. You're a ghost, that's what's happening right now. Jer… Jeremy. Jeremy!" I called as I started to freak out, "You're a ghost; you're haunting me."

" Can a ghost do this?" Connor asked before grabbing me in a chokehold

I elbowed him in the stomach, causing him to let go of me so I could push him across the room. He got back up at started to walk towards me again, so I picked up a knife and stabbed him in the neck. When I pulled the knife out of his neck I realized that it was actually Jeremy that I had stabbed.

" Jer! Jer! Jer! Jer!" I exclaimed as Jeremy fell to the ground and I went down with him, "No, no, no, no, no, no."

"Oh my God!" Elena yelled as she came into the room, Aurora right behind her, " What happened?"

" Elena, I didn't know it was him." I cried, looking down at Jeremy, " I'm so sorry."

"Audrey, calm down." Aurora said calmly, " Everything is going to be okay."

" How could everything possible be okay?" Elena snapped, tears streaming down her face as she came towards Jeremy and I

" He's wearing his ring." Aurora told us

I looked down at Jeremy's hand and, sure enough, he was still wearing his ring.

* * *

After Aurora helped me move Jeremy to the couch in the living room I called Damon and told him to come over. Aurora had left since the smell of blood was too strong and I had convinced Elena to wait upstairs until Jeremy woke up.

"I can't believe this happened." I said to Damon when he arrived, "What am I going to say to him?"

"Thanks for not ditching the family ring after it drove Ric crazy." Damon said, causing me to glare at him, " You should have called Stefan."

" Why would I do that? I sure as hell don't want to talk to him." I told Damon angrily, " He's been lying to me and hiding things from me. He compelled Jeremy to forget God knows what."

"In all fairness, I mean, I think you killing him kinda trumps that. And you should have called Stefan." Damon said

"I don't trust him right now, Damon." I said

I heard the front door open and close and I turned to see that Stefan had just walked in.

"Hey." Stefan greeted me as he came into the room

"PS, I called Stefan." Damon admitted guiltily

"What happened?" Stefan asked me, "Why didn't you call me?"

"I just - I need to go upstairs and shower. Clean all the blood off my hands." I told Damon, completely ignoring Stefan in the process, before heading up to my room

* * *

I grabbed a change of clothes and was about to walk into the bathroom when Stefan came into my room.

" Audrey. Hey. Listen, I know you're still upset about yesterday and I get it, believe me, but just let me help you." Stefan said

"I don't want your help right now, Stefan." I told him angrily

"But you'll accept Damon's?" Stefan questioned me

" Yes, I will, because he hasn't been working with Klaus doing god knows what and you have." I snapped, " And don't insult me by trying to deny it."

"Listen, it's not what you think, okay." Stefan told me

"I don't know what to think, but I do know that I don't want to talk to you and I don't really wanna be around you right now." I said, moving to go past him but he grabbed my arm before I got very far

"Please just..." Stefan pleaded

"No! This is Jeremy's blood on my hands, Stefan." I cut him off, yanking my arm out of his grip, " I stabbed him in the neck last night. So, forgive me if I'm not in the mood to listen to you try to talk your way out of this. Why don't you try that with Elena, maybe she'll listen to you after you left her in the Grill while she was bleeding out from being shot."

With that, I walked past him into the bathroom and slammed the door.

* * *

After I had washed off all the blood, I stood in the shower and let the warm water run over me hoping that it would help me relax a little. I looked down at the floor of the shower and gasped when I saw that blood was starting to come from the shower head, covering the bottom on the shower. I looked up at the shower head to see that water was coming from it but when I looked back down there was more blood. I quickly grabbed my towel and wrapped in around myself as I got out of the shower.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Damon just finished cleaning Jeremy's blood off of the kitchen floor when Stefan walked into the room.

"Where did Jeremy and Elena go?" Damon asked his younger brother

"School." Stefan told him, "Bonnie has them volunteering for some occult exhibit."

"Or maybe they didn't want to linger in a house where their cousin just jammed a knife into Jeremy's neck." Damon suggested as Stefan's phone began to ring

"It's Klaus." Stefan said as he looked down at his phone

"Time to face the music." Damon said with a smirk, "Pay the piper, dance with the devil."

"You know, I'm glad you find this amusing." Stefan said, "If he finds out I told you about the cure, he'll kill both of us."

"Quit avoiding him, you're being shady." Damon told him, "Shady people get outed."

"I don't want to talk about it." Stefan said to Klaus, answering the phone

"Well, I can't imagine why." Klaus replied sarcastically, "What with you ruining all my plans for a hybrid filled future."

"Well it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't sworn me to secrecy." Stefan told him, earning an approving nod from Damon

"Well, life's full of ifs, Stefan." Klaus said, "But let's accentuate the positives, shall we? The hunter was one of Five; we'll find another, it may take centuries but we've got nothing but time, right?"

"You're using your calm voice today." Stefan noticed, " Who's getting killed?"

"Not you, if that's what you're worried about." Klaus told him, "But I am concerned about your brother's beloved." This peaked Damon's interest and it took all the strength he had to not rip the phone out of Stefan's hand and ask Klaus what the hell he meant, "Have the hallucinations started yet?"

"What do you know about that?" Stefan asked, looking at Damon

"I'll tell you." Klaus said. "Where are you?"

"I'm at her house." Stefan told him

"How convenient, so am I." Klaus said as there was a knock on the door

Stefan hung up his phone as he walked outside to meet Klaus.

"You know, this would all be a lot more civilized if I was just invited inside." Klaus said to Stefan

"It's bad enough I'm out here talking to you." Stefan told him, "What do you know?"

"I killed the Original Five hunters, remember?" Klaus reminded him, "When one kills a hunter there is a bit of a consequence."

"What kind of consequence?"

"The hunters were spelled by witches to kill vampires; if you prevent one from fulfilling his destiny then he'll take you down with him." Klaus informed him

"What do you mean?" Stefan asked, "Connor's dead."

"I mean, Connor's death won't prevent him from making Audrey his final vampire kill." Klaus continued, "She'll need to come with me now. I'll lock her up, keep her away from any sharp wooden objects."

"She's not going anywhere with you." Stefan snapped

"Well, if we leave her alone, she'll take her own life before the day is out." Klaus said

"She's stronger than that." Stefan told him

"Is she?" Klaus inquired, " Believe me it's for her own good."

* * *

**Audrey P.O.V**

When I was dressed, I walked into my room and over to my mirror to make sure my hair looked okay. As soon as I looked in the mirror I saw that Connor was standing behind me and I turned around to face him.

" Would you like some?" Connor said, touching the blood on his neck, "You seemed to enjoy it when you drank from me."

" I wasn't myself." I told him, "I was angry."

" Were you yourself when you snapped my neck with your bare hands?" He asked

" You staked me." I reminded him

" Because you're a monster and you deserve to die." Connor told me, "Admit it."

"No!" I yelled before running down to the kitchen where I knew Damon was "Damon…." I said as I walked into the kitchen but instead of him I saw Connor.

"Decomposition starts in the first twenty four hours." Connor said, " I'm rotting in an unmarked grave because of you."

" No!" I exclaimed backing out of the kitchen and running out the front door. I stopped in my tracks when I saw Klaus and Stefan talking. Suddenly Klaus grabbed me and used his vampire speed to get us far away from there.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Over at Mystic Falls High, Jeremy was standing in the hallway, looking down at the hunters mark that had appeared on his hand when Matt walked toward him.

"Hey, do you see anything on my hand?" He asked Matt, who only shook his head in response, "What if I told you I saw the beginning of a mark like Connor's."

" Are you serious?" Matt asked

" It showed up after he died." Jeremy told him, "He told me that I was a potential. That that's why I could see his mark."

" So what does that make you?" Matt questioned, "Like the next chosen one or something?"

Before Jeremy could answer him, April and Professor Shane, who were both carrying boxes of old artifacts, walked up to them.

" Hey guys." April greeted them

" Hey April." Matt said

" Well, don't let her do the heavy lifting. I found her wandering the hallways with this." Professor Shane told them, holding up a big rock, " Just teasing, I'm the guy who wrangles all the freaky stuff. Atticus Shane, please call me Shane, I beg you. Thank you guys for helping, I really appreciate it. You all get free admission to my free exhibit."

" Why does he look so familiar?" April asked as Shane walked away

"No idea." Jeremy said

" Hey, umm, have you guys seen Rebekah?" April asked, repeating the questioned she had asked Matt the day before, "She said she was gonna help me look into what caused the explosion at my dad's farm and then she just…"

"Disappeared, yeah I know." Matt finished, picking up a box of antiques and walking off."

* * *

" You lost her?" Bonnie asked after Stefan and Damon had told her what had happened

"Well, lost is a very strong word, we just technically don't know where she is." Damon told her

" I'm more worried about what Klaus said about this hunter's curse." Stefan said

" How does Klaus even know about this?" Bonnie asked

" How does Klaus know anything? That guy is like a billion years old." Damon said

" He said it was a witch's curse." Stefan answered seriously, looking at Bonnie

" You know if I could do anything to help, I would. But I…"

"But nothing." Damon cut her off, " Wave your magic wand, hocus pocus be gone hunter ghostess, whatever."

"The spirits won't let me do the magic I'd need to break the curse." Bonnie told him, "But I can ask Shane for help, he knows everything about everything."

" Great, you two do your thing." Stefan said to Bonnie and Damon

" Where are you going?" Damon asked

" I'm gonna get her back." Stefan told him as he walked out of the room

* * *

**Audrey P.O.V**

"Let go of me." I snapped as Klaus brought me into one of the rooms of his mansion

" Certainly." Klaus said as he let go of my arm, "I apologize for the lack of windows; it's to preserve the art. And of course to prevent you from taking off your daylight ring and burning yourself to death in the sun."

" I'm not gonna kill myself." I told him, "I would never do that."

"Oh, but you'll want to." Klaus told me matter-of-factly , "I did. Problem is I'm immortal."

" You went through this?" I asked

"Yes, I did. For 52 years, 4 months, and 9 days." Klaus said, "I was tormented, in my dreams, in every waking moment, relentless, never ending torture. It was the only period of my life when I actually felt time."

" So, you knew that this would happen if Connor died?" I asked him, "That's why you got involved. Did Stefan know too?"

"All he knew was that the hunter had to be kept alive." Klaus answered, "You should have listened to him when he said he had it covered, love."

" What else does Stefan know?"

" Well, that's one of life's little mysteries, isn't it?" Klaus said, backing away and heading for the door

"How did you make it stop?" I asked

" I didn't. Eventually it just stopped." Klaus told me, knocking on the door which was then opened by one of his hybrids, "The hallucinations tend to appear in strange forms. Don't say I didn't warn you."

With that, Klaus walked out of the room and the door slammed shut.

* * *

A while after Klaus left, one of his hybrids came in with a duffel bag of stuff.

"Clothes, tooth brush." the hybrid said, putting the bag on the bed, "Klaus said you're going to be here until he figures out where to put you."

" Just please go away." I told him as I sat in a chair across from the bed

The hybrid didn't say a word as he walked out of the room and shut the door

"I can't. I'm going to be with you forever." Connor said to me as soon as the hybrid left, "A constant reminder of what you've become. So, tell me, how did it feel to drain the life out of me?"

" It was horrible." I told him, "It was the worst thing that I've ever done."

"You're lying." Connor said

"No, I'm not." I insisted

" Yes you are." Connor countered, "Tell the truth."

" I am telling the truth."

"You're lying." He repeated

" Fine!" I snapped as I got out of my seat and walked up to him, "I liked it. I loved the taste of your blood. Are you happy?"

" I'm not happy, Audrey." He told me, "I'm dead. Did you know I had a family? A brother, parents."

" I'm sorry." I apologized, "I'm – I'm really sorry."

" Are you sorry about your parents?" Connor asked me, "It's your fault they died."

" Don't."

" Your father died because of what you and your boyfriend did to Mason Lockwood. And your mom, she died trying to save you from becoming the very monster you are now. They died because of you. And I'm not going to stop until you've taken your last, miserable breath."

" I'm not going to let you do this to me." I said

" Then get rid of me." Connor laughed, "Kill yourself. You never wanted to be a vampire in the first place now look at what you've become. You're a monster and you deserve to die."

I turned away from him and covered my ears in an attempt to silence him.

"You don't want to listen to me?" I heard Connor ask, "Fine."

I turned back around and came face to face with Katherine,

"Then how about you and I have a little chat." she said

" Katherine?" I questioned in disbelief

"Did you miss me?"

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

"You're looking at what people believed to be the world's first tombstone." Shane said to a group of students in Mystic High as he gestured to the tombstone, "This item was donated to Whitmore College last month."

"Oh, I just remember how I know him." April said to Matt as they watched Professor Shane's lecture, "Through my dad."

" That guy knew your dad?" Matt asked her

" Yeah, he taught a theology seminar at Whitmore last year." April told him

" It belonged to a very powerful witch, a witch so powerful in fact that Silas, that was his name, created a spell that would grant him immortality." Shane continued, "Now legend says that Silas did the spell with the help of a lady witch who loved him, a woman named Qetsiyah. Sadly for Qetsiyah Silas wanted to give immortality to another woman, so Qetsiyah killed her and buried Silas alive. Leaving him powerless, immortal, and alone. This might actually be the origin story of 'Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn.'"

Damon and Bonnie walked in as Shane was talking and were listening to his speech.

" You got this?" Damon asked the witch

" Yeah, I'll bring him to you." Bonnie told Damon and he started to walk away

" Now, it's said that Silas wants to rise again, regain his power, wreak havoc on the world. Maybe we should be afraid." This peaked Damon's interest and he stopped and looked at Shane once more before heading out of the room, "Or maybe it's all a bunch of crap and this is just an old rock. Alright, listen, enjoy exploring the exhibit. I'll be around to answer any questions. Thank you for coming."

When Shane finished his speech everyone wondered off to see the rest of the exhibits and he took the opportunity to head over to Bonnie.

"Hey, you made it." Shane said

" Nice cautionary tale." Bonnie said with a smile, "Qetsiyah sounds like a badass."

" Nothing compared to Silas." Shane told her

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

"Don't you ever stop crying?" Katherine asked in annoyance and she walked past me, "Poor Audrey, always the victim. Except now you're a killer. What does Damon think of the new you?"

" Shut up!" I told her as I wiped away the tears from my eyes

" The girl he fell in love with is gone, you know." Katherine continued, "You're like me now, maybe worse."

" I made a mistake." I said, "I can do better."

" No, you can't." She told me, "You're a vampire. You'll kill again, it'll change you and it'll keep changing you until you're just like me."

"I am nothing like you." I snapped at her

" I was you before you even existed. And when Damon knew the real me; he hated me." Katherine smirked, "And now he's gonna hate you too.

" Shut up!" I yelled before jumping at Katherine, only to land on the bed

I looked around the room and Katherine was gone.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Damon sat in Alaric's desk in his old class room as he waited for Bonnie to bring in Professor Shane. He opened one of the desk drawers and found a bottle of bourbon sitting in it. He took out the bottle with a smile as he propped his feet up on the desk.

"You're missing all the adventure, pal." Damon said before taking a drink

Bonnie and Shane walked in just as he was setting the bourbon down on the desk.

" Shane, this is my friend, Damon." Bonnie said to Shane, "He's kind of an expert on this stuff too."

" I audited your class." Damon added, "Very enlightening."

" That's right, I remember you." Shane said, "What's your specialty?"

" The origin of the species." Damon said

" Ah, I think Darwin would arm wrestle you for that distinction." Shane said with a laugh

" Not that species."

" You're into the monster stuff." Shane smiled, "Alright, awesome."

" I was kind of hoping you might have stumbled upon this at some point, maybe." Damon said as he pulled a piece of paper out of his pocket and handed it to Shane

" This is the hunter's mark." Shane said, unfolding the paper to reveal the drawing Jeremy had done a few days earlier, "Where did you get this?"

" Came to me in a dream." Damon replied, "Do you know anything about the hunter's curse?"

" Why, you got a dead hunter in the trunk of your car or something?" Shane joked

"Metaphorically speaking." Damon said

" Legend says that if a hunter is killed by that which it hunts, then that person will be cursed to walk the Earth in torment until…." Shane began to explain

" Until?" Bonnie asked

" Until a new hunter is awakened and their legacy is passed on." Shane continued, "They're called potentials. Listen, I have a bunch of research on it. Why don't I go grab it for you?"

" That'd be great. " Damon said as Shane handed the drawing back to him, "Hey, thanks."

"How are we supposed to find a potential hunter?" Bonnie asked Damon after Shane left the room

" Yeah, about that." Damon said as he called someone on the phone, " Little Gilbert, your services are needed."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

"You were such a good girl when you were human." Katherine said when she returned, "Always willing to sacrifice yourself for your friends; except weren't they usually the ones that ended up getting hurt?"

" I never wanted that." I told her as I got off the bed

" Bonnie lost her Grams because of you. Her mom was turned into a vampire because of you." Katherine reminded me, "You know, she probably secretly hates you. Did you ever think of that? I bet she'd be relieved if you were gone."

" I'm not gonna kill myself!" I yelled at her

"Ugh, why not?" She said, rolling her eyes, "Your very existence brings people nothing but pain. I mean, maybe it was worth it when you were worth it, but you're nothing now. You're a monster, Audrey. You deserve to die."

* * *

Katherine had disappeared again and I was sitting on the ground with my arms wrapped around my legs when I heard the door open. I got to my feet and turned to see Connor slowly walk into the room. As he continued to walk towards me I backed up, trying to keep as much distance between us as possible.

" No, no." I said as I continued to back up, "Stay - Stay away from me."

When he didn't stop, I turned to the bed and ripped off one of the metal legs ran at him. Before I could stab him with it Connor grabbed my wrist, trying to stop me. I threw him back into the wall and ran at him again, this time shoving the pipe into his stomach before running out of the room.

* * *

"How did I not know any of this stuff about Jeremy?" Bonnie asked as she read through the research she had gotten from Professor Shane

" The witch who loses her powers gets left out of the important conversations." Damon told her

" Is everything okay?" Jeremy asked as he came into the room, "Is it Audrey?"

" We figured out how to help her." Bonnie told him, "You need to kill a vampire."

" Great, give me a stake, I'll kill Damon right now." Jeremy said, a little too enthusiastically as he looked at Damon

" Easy, Van Helsing." Damon said, "We'll get you one. Don't worry."

"Before you do this, you need to know what you're getting yourself into." Bonnie told Jeremy, handing him Shane's research, as Damon's phone began to ring

"You can rest easy, brother." Damon answered his phone, "We figured out how to solve our little Audrey problem."

" Yeah, well, now we have a bigger one." Stefan said as he removed the pipe Audrey had stabbed him with, thinking he was Connor, out of his stomach, " I lost her."

" What?" Damon asked, "Again?"

" She's in bad shape. I tried to help her but she attacked me." Stefan told his brother, "Listen, you go find her, alright. Talk her down, she'll listen to you. Just tell me what I need to do to end this."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

When I had gotten far enough away from Klaus's mansion I slowed down to a walk. As I continued to walk I started getting different flashes of the time Matt and I had gone off of Wickery Bridge, the time Damon and I had gone to the frat party, and the time that I had killed Connor.

" Are you ready to die yet?" Connor asked as he and Katherine walked on either side of me, "You know it's your only way out of this."

" You can't take back what you did." Katherine told me, "It can never be undone. You're a monster. You deserve to die."

They both vanished and I stopped in my tracks when I realized that I was standing in the middle of Wickery Bridge. I slowly walked over to the railing and looked down at the water.

" It's okay, sweetie." I heard someone say next to me and I turned to see my mom

" Mom?" I said as she smiled at me

" I know what you're going through. It's okay." Mom told me, "This bridge is where your life should have ended. You were ready to die, remember?"

" I don't know what to do." I said, shaking my head

" Yes you do, honey. You know exactly what to do." She said, looking down at my hand and I lifted my hand and looked down at my daylight ring, "That's right. The sun will come up and this will all be over. It's the right thing to do, Audrey. You know it is. Admit it."

" Because I'm a monster." I said, "And I deserve to die."

I turned to look over the bridge again as I took of my ring and dropped it in the lake.

* * *

I started to panic as the sun began to rise and I turned to face my mom again.

"I can't do this." I told her, "I can't leave Jeremy and Elena."

" They are better off without you, don't you see that?" she asked

"But, mom, they won't have anyone." I said

" They'll have each other." She told me, " And they'll have you. You'll be a ghost who helps them not a monster who hurts them."

"You're – you're right." I admitted as tears started streaming down my cheeks, "I – I – I'm sorry I… Mommy, I didn't mean to disappoint you."

" You didn't." she told me, "You were everything I ever wanted you to be. But you died and you were supposed to stay dead."

" Audrey." I heard Damon call and I turned to see him standing a few feet away from my

"Damon?" I said, I turned to look at my mom again but she was gone so I turned back to Damon, "How did you find me?"

" Didn't take a genius to figure it out." Damon told me

" You were right, Damon." I said, "Vampires kill people. Stefan was right too. I can't live with myself."

" Look at you, being all glass is half empty." Damon said, "Let's just go talk about this before you do something stupid, okay?"

" The sun will be up soon." Connor said from next to me, "It's almost over."

I nodded as I looked back out at the water, watching the sun slowly rising, before looking down at my hand.

" Where's your ring?" Damon asked me but I didn't answer, "Where's your ring, Audrey?"

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

"You're doing a good thing, Chris." Tyler told the hybrid that had helped Stefan get to into the room where Audrey had been locked up

" Yeah, well, let's see how fast a good thing can get me out of town." Chris said, nervous that Klaus would arrive any minute and kill him because Audrey was gone

" Call me when you're safe, okay?" Hayley told him as she gave him a hug

" Yeah." Chris said, picking up his bags and heading to the door

When he opened up the door to leave the Lockwood mansion, Klaus walked in.

"Going somewhere?" Klaus asked, grabbing Chris by the throat and slamming him into the wall, "When I said don't let her out of your sight, what did you think I meant?"

" It's not his fault, it's mine." Tyler lied, trying to save his friend, "I was distracting you. It's my fault she got away!"

" Then maybe you should be the one to die for it." Klaus told him, letting go of Chris

" No one has to die!" Hayley snapped at Klaus

" Did I not say mind your business?!" Klaus said, moving to stand right in front of her

" Tyler's covering for me." Hayley also lied, "I'm the one that let her go."

" Hayley…" Tyler started

" No." Hayley cut him off, "You want someone dead, go ahead. Kill me. I'd rather die anyway than end up as one of your sired little bitches."

" Don't tempt me, little wolf." Klaus told her before turning back to Chris, "Your existence is to serve me. To please me. Do you understand?"

" I'm sorry." Chris apologized, "I won't fail you again."

" No, you won't." Klaus told him, moving away from him, "Get out of here."

Chris quickly made his way for the exit but before he could get out the front door Stefan came in an staked him in the chest, a few inches from his heart.

"No!" Hayley shouted as Chris fell to the floor

As Hayley began to cry, Jeremy walked into the room

" Jeremy?" Tyler said in confusion upon seeing that the younger Gilbert was holding an ax

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" We need to get you inside." Damon said urgently as I turned to look at him

"It's almost time." Connor said from behind me

" What you're going through is a curse." Damon said, trying desperately to get me to listen to him, "We know how to break it, but we just have to get you inside."

" Don't let him stop you." Connor told me, "I know you want to, but you can't. Don't."

"Damn it, Audrey." Damon said as he saw the sun was almost up

Damon ran at me in an attempt to grab me and get me inside before the sun could rise but I just ran around him, making sure to keep as much distance between us as possible.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" What the hell, man?!" Tyler yelled at Stefan

" I'm sorry." Stefan told him before nodding at Jeremy who lifted up the ax and brought it down, efficiently chopping off Chris's head and killing him.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

Suddenly, I felt the haze that had surrounded me all day disperse and I looked around to see that Connor was now gone.

"He's gone." I said, more to myself than to Damon

" It's okay." Damon told me

I started to hear a sizzling sound and I looked down at my arm to see that my skin had started burning since I wasn't wearing my ring. My eyes widened in fear as I looked back up at Damon,

" Damon?" I said to him

Damon ran at me and grabbed me before jumping over the rail and into the lake.

* * *

I opened my eyes to see sunlight filtering through my bedroom window. I slowly sat up as I looked down at my hand to see that my ring was back on my finger .

"Fished it out of the river for you. Little tip, vampires hate to swim. " Damon said and I turned to look at him as he sat in the window seat across the room, "How are you feeling?"

" My head's clear. I can remember everything, but not like I lived it, like it was a really bad dream." I told him, "You saved me. Thank you."

" Well, you know what they say about teenage suicide." Damon said as he moved from the window seat to sit on my bed, "Don't do it."

"I just can't believe that I almost…" I started

" Don't worry yourself." Damon said, taking my hand in his

" Yeah, but if it wasn't for you…" I trailed off, " Ugh, I can't believe I stabbed Stefan because I thought he was Connor. Although he did kind of deserve it."

" Speaking of which, I need to tell you something." Damon said, rubbing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb, " I know that you think Stefan's been lying to you, which, yeah, he has, but everything that he's been doing; he's been doing for you. To help you. And after he kills me for telling you this, I want you to throw my ashes off of Wickery Bridge, okay?"

I couldn't help but laugh at this before he continued.

"There may be a way out of this for you, Audrey." Damon told me but I just looked at him in confusion, "There may be a cure."

* * *

When I had recovered from the shock of the fact that there might actually be a cure for vampirism, Damon and I headed to Mystic Grill to get some well deserved drinks.

" Two bourbons." Damon said to the bartender as we took our seats, Damon looked at Alaric's seat before adding, " Make that three."

" You're still saving a spot for Mr. Saltzman, huh?" Matt asked Damon as he walked up to us

" I'd say I'm in the market for a new drinking buddy but you're not qualified and I already have one." Damon told him, looking at me

" Fantastic." I said, rolling my eyes, " You're going to turn me into a full blown alcoholic within the next year."

" I know that you don't like me." Matt said to Damon as our drinks arrived and Damon moved one over Alaric's empty seat, "But, I dug up some stuff about the explosion at the Young farm, I kind of need to tell someone about."

" Continue." I told him before taking a sip of my drink

" So, April mentioned that her dad knew that Professor Shane guy." Matt told us," Which wouldn't be creepy, except, he had all that info about the hunter's curse, and we live in a town where, you know, anybody who knows stuff is creepy until proven otherwise."

" You're on the verge of impressing me." Damon said, "Drive it home."

" I got the Sheriff to dig up the Pastor's phone records." Matt continued, "Turns out he made like a call a day to the same number the last month he was alive. And on the day that the Council got blown up at the farm, he called it ten times. The office of Professor Atticus Shane."

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

"Did your, uh, did your friend, Damon, did he get everything he was looking for in my files?" Shane asked Bonnie as they sat in his office at Whitmore College

" Yeah." Bonnie said, "Thanks. I – um - I have to ask, how do you know all this stuff?"

" Bonnie, look, I've been around the world ten times over. I've studied every supernatural creature known to man and for the record; witches are hands down the most powerful so, I'm in your corner all the way, I'm your biggest ally." Shane told her, "But let me just say one thing, when your new hunter – and I know you have one – when he completes his mark you're gonna want to come to me. Cause I'm gonna be the only one who can help, trust me on that, okay?" Bonnie nodded in reply, "The only one."

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Well the best way to start out this new month is with an all new chapter. Enjoy and please make sure to leave a review guys. Until next time...**

**Audrey;D**


	7. My Brother's Keeper

_**Disclaimer- As I have oftern said, I do not own the Vampire Diaries**_

**Chapter Seven- My Brother's Keeper**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

It was the day of the Miss Mystic Pageant and at the moment I was helping Elena and Caroline arrange flowers in the back yard of the Lockwood Mansion. We were talking about Stefan and alliance with Klaus so he could get the cure when she told me that she had broken up with him.

" Wait, what?" I asked her in shock, " Why would you do that?"

" Because he's been lying to me for weeks, Audrey." Elena told me

" But Stefan is your soul mate, Elena." Caroline said

" It's not like I don't love Stefan anymore." Elena said, " I just need sometime."

" I heard you talking to him earlier." I said to Caroline, " How's he doing?"

"He's heartbroken and still driving himself crazy looking for this cure."

" Excuse me." Professor Shane said, coming over to us before Elena or I could say anything to Caroline, " I'm a little lost. I'm here to interview the contestants."

" You're Professor Shane." Elena pointed out

" Yeah, that's right." Shane smiled, " Professor by day, pageant judge by other day. In spite of being absurdly unqualified, I'm apparently awarding a scholarship."

" Uh, inside of the parlor." Caroline told him

"Right in here?" Shane asked, pointing toward the house

" Yep."

"Alright, I'll just follow the scent of hairspray and world domination." Shane said before walking off

" He's the one who told Damon how to break the hunter's curse." I said to Care and Elena

" He's also the one that had Bonnie so obsessed with practicing magic that she bailed on pageant prep." Caroline added

" And now he's judging Miss Mystic Falls?" Elena asked, " Jack of all trades or kinda creepy?"

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" So, your sister is making me be her date." Matt said as he and Jeremy we unloading things from the back of his truck, " Think I'll have to do that weird dance thing?"

" I'm pretty sure that's only for the contestants." Jeremy told him with a laugh

" I heard that you're April's escort." Matt said, " How'd that happened?"

" Well, she needed a date and apparently you were taken." Jeremy said which made Matt grin

Matt tried to pick up one of the kegs but it was too heavy to move.

" Okay, let's just take these in and we'll come back for the kegs." Matt said

" No, wait." Jeremy stopped Matt as he jumped onto the bed of Matt's truck, " You want to see something cool?"

Jeremy picked up a keg in each hand and jumped off of the truck before setting them on the ground.

" How did you just do that?" Matt asked in shock

" Ever since I was awoken as a hunter, I've had all this energy, like all the time." Jeremy told him.

"Jer, I think you need to talk to someone about this." Matt told him, " I mean, look what happened to Connor, okay. A byproduct of this energy is that you're never gonna want to kill vampires and you happen to live with two."

" Hey, I would never hurt Audrey or Aurora." Jeremy said as he started to walk away, " I'll be fine."

* * *

Stefan walked though the back entrance of the hospital, closing the door behind him quietly so no one heard him. He looked at a few different patients before finding one who had an officer standing guard outside of his room.

" Can I help you?" the officer asked when Stefan walked up to him

" Time for a little break." Stefan compelled him, " He'll be safe with me."

The officer nodded before walking away, making it possible for Stefan to walk into the room to see a man cuffed to the bed.

" Who are you?" the man asked Stefan

"Why is there a cop outside?" Stefan compelled him, ignroing his question

" I'm a convicted murderer." he replied

" You guilty?" Stefan questioned

" Of course I am." the guy admitted

" Any regrets?"

" Only that I got caught." the man told him

With that, Stefan bit into his wrist and shoved it into the man's mouth, forcing him to drink the blood. When he had gotten enough blood Stefan removed his wrist and snapped the man's neck.

* * *

Caroline stood outside the Lockwood Mansion, clipboard in hand, as three girls walked up to her with flower arrangements.

"Woah, woah, woah, stop, stop!" Caroline said, causing all three of the girls to stop, " Those flowers go in the back as indicated by the floral chart that you guys had plenty of time to memorize." the three turned back around to drop the flowers off in the back without saying a word, "Yeah, thank you."

"Now, how did I know I'd find you at the helm of the ship?" Klaus said, walking up to Care

" Go away." Caroline said, looking up from her clipboard for a moment to look at Klaus before returning her attention to the clipboard, "I'm busy."

" I was wondering what time I should pick you up tomorrow." Klaus said

"How about a quarter to never." Caroline said, looking at him again

"I was promised a date in return for one of my hybrids." Klaus reminded her

"Yes, a date." Caroline agreed, "Like to a movie where we don't have to talk and I can put at least three seats between us."

" Well, surely the reigning Miss Mystic Falls won't be hosting the party alone." Klaus said, earning Caroline's full attention, "And I assume you're not taking Tyler. Not after his indiscretions with his lady werewolf friend."

" Fine. If you insist on coming, meet me here. 2 PM." Caroline told him as she began to walk away, " Black tie optional. And I already have a dress, so don't even think of getting me so much as a corsage, you understand?"

"I'll see you tomorrow, Caroline." Klaus said with a nod as he watched Caroline walk inside

* * *

_Audrey was in her room, looking into her mirror as she tried to put on the necklace Damon had given her but she was having trouble since the clasp refused to work._

" _Need a hand?" Jeremy asked, seeing that she was struggling as he came into the room_

" _Yeah, please, this clasp is tricky." Audrey told him as he helped her with the necklace, "Hey, I, uh, picked up your clothes from the dry cleaners. They should be hanging on your door."_

" _I really wish you'd stop acting like you were still my cousin." Jeremy said and Audrey looked at him in confusion_

_Suddenly, Jeremy tightened the necklace around Audrey's throat, choking her. Audrey tried to push Jeremy off of her feebly as blood started dripping from the wound that was forming on her neck._

Jeremy gasped as he sat up in bed, waking up from his dream. He held up his right had and was shocked when he saw that he was holding a knife. Jeremy looked down at his other hand and found a freshly made stake with the hunter's mark carved into it.

* * *

" How do you wake up with a knife in your hand and not remember how it got there?" Matt asked Jeremy as they got ready for the Miss Mystic Pageant, "It's that hunter's mark, Jer. It's messing with you."

"What if I'm turning into Alaric?" Jeremy asked as he paced back and forth in his room, "I've probably died too many times with this ring on my finger and I'm developing an alter ego like he did."

" 'Newly awakened hunters may not be fully conscious of their actions. Their sub-conscious pushes through until the urge becomes a basic instinct.'" Matt read from Shane's research on Hunters, "You're not having a psychotic break, Jer. You either tell Audrey and Elena or I will."

" Fine, I'll tell them when I see them." Jeremy told him before his phone beeped, alerting him of a text.

Jeremy looked down at the message, which was from Stefan, and it said 'Meet in Lockwood Cellar. Don't tell anyone.'

" Alright, we should probably get going." Matt told Jer, "Need a ride?"

" Uh, no." Jeremy replied, looking up from his phone, "Go ahead, I'll meet you there."

"Alright." Matt said, walking out of the room as Jeremy looked back at Stefan's message

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

Caroline, Elena and I were in one of the Lockwood's spare room as we helped April pick out her dress for Miss Mystic. Elena and Caroline were standing by the couch and I stood by the door as April showed us a red dress and a blue dress.

"Blue." Care, Elena, and I said in unison

" Really?" April asked skeptically, "The blue seems a little safe."

"Safe is good when it comes to the judges" Elena told April

" She's right." Caroline agreed, "Gracie Lockwood had a three foot slit her year and practically got laughed off the court."

"She got my vote." Damon said as he walked into the room before turning to me, " Hello, Audrey."

" Hey." I smiled before giving him a quick kiss

"Ugh! I think I'm going to be sick." Caroline said when we pulled away, " Get out lurker."

"Ouch." Damon said sarcastically and I laughed

"Where's Professor Shane?" Damon asked as Caroline came towards the door

"Check the judges' table." Caroline told him, attempting to shut the door on him before walking back over to Elena.

"Red one, definitely." Damon said as he pushed the door back open

"We've already agreed that the red one is a little bit too showy." Elena told him

"It's a pageant." Damon said, "That's the whole point."

"Did you win Miss Mystic last year?" Caroline asked him as she crossed her arms over her chest, "No. I don't think you did."

" Neither did Elena and she wore blue." Damon countered and I hit him in the arm

" Nobody cares what you think." Caroline snapped at him

" I care." April spoke up

" See? April cares." Damon said with a smirk before turning to look at me, "Red, right Audrey?"

"The red is pretty." I admitted as Caroline glared at me

"And my work here is done." Damon said, turning and heading out of the room

" Uh, what happened to thirty seconds ago when you hated the red one?" Caroline asked me, "What happened to safe is good?"

" Whichever one you want to wear, April." I told April before walking out of the room

* * *

" Damon." I called as I walked down the stairs, trying to catch up with him

" What is it?" Damon asked

"Damon Salvatore. Looks like we travel in the same circuit." Shane said, coming into the room as I was about to respond, " Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt."

" It's okay." I told Shane before turning to Damon, " I'll catch up with you later."

Then I turned and headed back upstairs.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

"So, I'm in search of another Hunter." Damon told Shane as the two walked around the backyard of the Lockwood Mansion.

" Hunter?" Shane asked and Damon nodded, "With a capital H? Why?"

" Same reason anyone needs a Hunter." Damon said, "Loneliness, drinking buddy, or for golf."

" I thought you said you already had a Potential." Shane said

" I did, but he ended up being a potential problem."

" There's nothing I can do to help you." Shane told Damon

" Hmm, why don't you help me with this…" Damon said, stopping and turning to face Shane, "Why are you here? What's in your little lesson plan there, Professor?"

" You think too highly of me, Damon. I'm gonna go find the other judges." Shane said, starting to walk off but Damon stopped him

"Hey, no pity votes for April Young, okay? I mean, just because her dad blew up a house with a dozen people in it doesn't mean she should get a tiara." Damon told Shane, "But you knew him, didn't you? Because I hear you two racked up a pretty impressive phone bill."

" If you want to know something about me, Damon, just ask."

"Okay. How did you convince the Pastor to kill all those people?" Damon questioned Shane

" Did you just accuse me of mass murder in the middle of a high school pageant?" Shane asked and Damon just smirked as Shane downed a glass of champagne before walking off.

* * *

Caroline walked around outside of the mansion, picking up empty champagne glasses and smiling at pageant attendees before storming over to one of the busboys.

"Hey, why am I busing your tables?" She snapped, putting the glasses on his try, "I said no empty glasses." Then Caroline headed over to the orchestra, "Will you guys pick up the tempo?! This is a pageant, not a funeral."

"And how am I doing?" Klaus asked as he walked up to her

"You're perfect." Caroline said, much to her distaste, "Which is so beyond annoying, I can't even look at you."

Klaus smiled but his smile dropped when he saw Tyler and Hayley walking across the lawn.

"They didn't waste any time, did they?" Klaus asked and Caroline looked over at the two, seeming a little upset

"Let's just get today over with." Caroline said, walking past Klaus and heading towards the stage.

* * *

Hayley and Tyler walked across the lawn when they saw the tiara a few feet in front of them.

"I can't believe that I won." Hayley joked as she walked up to were the tiara was, picking it up and putting it on her head, "I just want to thank the judges for seeing past the fact that I'm a raging bitch."

" You don't want to do that." Tyler warned her, "Those girls will cut you. They have nails."

" I have claws." Hayley smiled as she put the tiara back down

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I walked onto the back lawn of the Lockwood Mansion to watch the introduction of the Miss Mystic candidates just as Caroline walked onto the stage.

" Hi, everyone, I'm Caroline Forbes." Caroline began, "As the reigning Miss Mystic Falls, it is my honor to introduce this year's Miss Mystic Court. We begin the procession with Valerie Fell accompanied by Dylan Clark. Next, we have Amber Wolvertine accompanied by Hector Lindsay."

"Have you seen Jeremy?" Matt asked as he walked up to me

" He's probably up there with the escorts." I told him as another girl was introduced, I looked over at the escorts but Jeremy wasn't there

"Yeah, Caroline told me to wrangle the escorts, he's not here." Matt told me, "Did he tell you about his nightmares?"

" What nightmares?" I asked, turning to look at Matt

"The ones where he kills you." Matt said and my eyes widened in surprise

" Katherine Wilson accompanied by Eric Hanson." Caroline said as she introduced Katherine

"I'll find him, but…" I started, looking over at April, "April's about to get abandoned."

" I got this." Matt said as he walked away

"And finally, we have a last minute entry, April Young accompanied by Jeremy Gilbert." Caroline introduced April

April walked down the stairs with a smile on her face as she looked for Jeremy but she couldn't find him. As she was about to take the last step of the stairs, Matt walked up to her and held out his arm for her. April took Matt's arm and they joined the other contestants on the dance floor. I watched the dance for a while before moving away from the crowd to call Jeremy.

"Hey, what's with the last minute escort change?" Caroline asked, walking up to me as I dialed Jeremy's number, "Where is Jeremy?"

" I'm calling him right now." I told her as Damon joined us. Jer's phone went straight to voicemail, " He's not picking up."

" Do the math." Damon told us, "Emo teen, open bar, it's fine."

" Matt said that Jeremy's been having nightmares about killing vampires and he's been hiding it from me and Elena."

" Relax, I'm sure he's fine." Damon said

"I don't know." I told Damon, "I have a bad feeling."

" If I'm not worried, you shouldn't be worried." Damon told me, "Let it go. I'll go look for him."

" Okay." I said before he walked away

"Okay, you go home, I'm gonna start asking around here." Caroline said

" Maybe Damon's right." I said, "Maybe he grabbed a bottle from the bar and snuck off to the woods."

" No, Damon is never right." Caroline said angrily, "Damon is sneaky and manipulative and rude, but he's never right. How can you not see that?"

" I don't know, but why do I think that you won't hesitate to tell me." I said

" Fine, friend-tervention. I think your feelings for Damon are really starting to cloud your judgment and I don't like it." Caroline said as I started to get angry, "And the thought of you two together really makes me want to barf."

" You've been holding that in for months, haven't you?" I asked, taking a step towards her

"Yes, actually." Caroline told me, " From the moment you to got together you've changed, and not for the better."

" You listen to me, Forbes." I started, walking up to Caroline so our noses were almost touching, " Damon and I are not your problem so I think you need to back off. And frankly, you telling me how screwed up my dating life is happens to be a little hypocritical."

" Easy, love, you two are making a scene." Klaus said, coming up to stand next to us

I glared at Caroline for a few more seconds before shaking my head at her and walking away.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" How did I become the bad guy?" Caroline asked Klaus in confusion as Audrey walked away

" Let's get you a drink. I'll tell you all about being the bad guy." Klaus told her as he led her off to find some champagne.

* * *

" It's just, as her best friend, it is my duty to warn her when she's making a giant mistake, right?" Caroline asked Klaus as the two walked next the pond on the Lockwood property, "And now she's taking Damon's side on everything."

"So, being a vampire's changed her?" Klaus asked

"But being a vampire only amplifies who you already are." Caroline disagreed, "It doesn't turn you into a completely different person."

" It's very peculiar." Klaus said with a smirk

" What's that look for?" Caroline asked him

"It'll all make sense eventually." Klaus told her vaguely as he continued to smirk

" Whatever, just – just hurry up and find the cure." Caroline told him as she sat down on a bench next to the pond.

"I'm working on it." Klaus said as he sat down next to her

" Would you ever take it?" Caroline asked him

" Now, why would I want to cure myself of being the most powerful creature on the planet?" Klaus said, beginning to open a bottle of champagne he had snagged from inside, "Hm?"

"So there's not one single moment in your whole life that you wanted to be human?"

" How about you?" Klaus said, avoiding the question, as he popped the cork off of the champagne, " Life used to be a lot easier." Klaus continued, standing up and pulling a piece of paper out of his jacket pocket, " Don't you miss the days of being…" Klaus read from the paper, "'Chair of the Mystic Falls Beautification Committee' and the 'Director of the Policeman's Yearly Raffle.'"

" Is that my Miss Mystic application?" Caroline asked in shock as she got to her feet and tried to grab it from him, " Where did you get that?"

" 'When I am chosen I intend to redefine excellence.'" Klaus laughed as he continued to read, "Now, I'm really enjoying your use of when here. It's very confident. 'And above all, I promise to aspire, inspire, and perspire.." Klaus said, breaking into a fit of laughter, "Obviously, we found a shortage of words ending in spire."

"Yeah, it's very funny." Caroline told him as she tried to grab the paper again but failed, "It's hilarious. Just-"

Caroline stopped trying to get the paper back from him and actually smiled and laughed as they both sat back down on the bench, neither one of them realizing that Tyler had heard their entire conversation.

* * *

As Damon was sitting at one of the many tables spread across the back lawn of the Lockwood Mansion he saw Shane sit down next to Hayley and pour her a class of champagne. Tyler was walking through the maze of tables and Damon got out of his seat when he saw him.

"Oh, hey." Damon said, getting Tyler to stop and face him, "How do those two know each other?"

" They don't." Tyler told him as he looked over at Hayley and Shane, "Paranoid much?"

" The Council just got burnt to a crisp. Some mysterious Hunter just blew through town and this guy just happens to know everything about everything." Damon reminded Tyler, "Yes, paranoid."

* * *

Jeremy set down his duffel bag full of weapons in an empty room at the Lockwood mansion before taking out a stake holding arm cuff and putting it on his wrist. Than he grabbed a few stakes and put them in the waistband of his pants before pulling on his jacket and walking outside. As he walked through the tables April ran up to him.

"Hey, where have you been?" April asked him

" Hey, sorry, I, um, I got stuck at work." Jeremy lied to her

" Jeremy, if you were to chicken to do the dance thingie than you should have just told me." April said

"No, no, I knew the dance." Jeremy told her, "I watched some lesson online like a hundred times."

"You did?" April smiled

"Hey, what's that Shane guy doing here?" Jeremy asked as he spotted Shane getting up from his table

" He's a judge." April told him as she waved to Shane, "I talked to him about my dad. I mean, he said that he had never seemed depressed or suicidal or anything, so…"

"Your dad?" Jeremy asked her as he spotted Audrey talking to Aurora and Jace across the lawn.

" Yeah, um, you know, I figured I'd explore every possibility, even the bleak ones." April relied as Jeremy continued to look at Audrey, " What are you looking at?"

" Your dad was doing the right thing for this town. The whole Council was. They died heroes." Jeremy said to her before walking off

* * *

Shane was sitting in an empty room inside when Damon walked in.

"Oh, you again." Shane said with a laugh, "I must be the least intimidating mass murderer ever."

" Well, you still never gave me a name." Damon told him, "And it's kind of urgent."

" Listen, there is no other name." Shane said as he got up, "Look, at any given moment there are five Hunters in existence, alright. Most of them have no idea who they are or what their purpose is. It means finding more than one in a lifetime is next to impossible."

Shane walked past Damon, trying to leave but Damon used his vampire speed to run in front of him.

" Subtle." Shane laughed

" Like you didn't already know." Damon said seriously, "You have five seconds to give me another name or you die."

" You know, since it's generally unwise for a vampire to seek out a Hunter, it means you're interested in the mark." Shane determined, "It's probably because of where it leads, but here's the thing, even if you complete the mark and you get the map, the thing that you're looking for is sealed with a spell only a certain kind of witch can perform."

" What kind of witch?" Damon asked

"Come on, Damon." Shane said

"I love pressure points." Damon said as he grabbed Shane's wrist, making his squirm in pain, "What kind of witch?"

" Come on, you're a big boy, you can figure this one out."

" A Bennett witch." Damon realized after a moment

" Aren't too many of those lying around as I'm sure you know." Shane told him, "So, none of this matters until Bonnie's back in touch with her magic and between the two of us, who do you think she trusts to help her get there?" Damon let go of Shane's wrist as he continued, "Five seconds are up, unless you just realized you need me alive. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a scholarship to award."

With that Shane walked past Damon and out of the room.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" And now, the moment you've been waiting for." Carol Lockwood said as she stood on the stage next to Caroline and I, "Caroline, would you do the honors?"

Caroline smiled as she walked up to the microphone and picked up the envelope with the winners name in it.

" This year's Miss Mystic Falls is…" Caroline as she opened up the envelope, " April Young."

The crowd burst into applause as April walked towards Caroline and I to get her tiara. April smiled as Caroline took the tiara off of the cushion I was holding and put it on her head. I turned to look at the crowd and saw Jeremy walking through the crown of people. I handed the cousin to Carol and walked off the stage to catch up with Jeremy. When I finally caught up with Jeremy, he was sitting in a room by himself.

" Hey, where have you been?" I asked him, then noticing the stake in his hand, "What are you doing with that? Put it down."

" Connor was right." Jeremy said as he stood up, "All I can think about is killing vampires."

"You're nothing like Connor." I told him

"I want to believe that." Jeremy told me, "And I know I don't want to hurt you, but everything inside of me is telling me to drive this stake through your heart."

"Why would you say that?' I asked him, "It's me, Jeremy."

"And you're a vampire." Jeremy said

"Yeah, but I'm also your cousin." I said as I gently grabbed his wrist, "Jer, I would never do anything to hurt you."

As I was holding Jeremy's hand, I started to smell blood so I turned over Jeremy's hand and sure enough there was blood dripping from a cut on the palm of his hand. I could feel the veins popping up under my eyes and I let go of his wrist.

"Get – get it away from me." I told him as I started to back away

I turned around to head out of the room but I could hear Jeremy following me. I turned to face him and I saw a stake in his hand . Without a second thought I threw him to the ground. I ran over to him when I realized that he wasn't moving and kneeled down next to him.

" Jer, Jer, hey, Jer, wake up." I said as I tried to shake Jeremy awake, "Jer, please wake up."

Jeremy opened his eyes and before I could do anything and staked me in the neck I gasped in pain, clutching my neck, as Jeremy got to his feet and grabbed another stake.

" Jeremy!" Matt called as he ran into the room

" Get out of here, Matt." Jeremy told him

" Jeremy, you don't want to do this, okay." Matt said, " That's Audrey. It's that stupid mark on your arm."

" Shut up, Matt!" Jeremy snapped at him

"Jeremy, look at me!" Matt said, "I'm human and I'm telling you not to hurt her."

Jeremy thought about it for a moment but then he raised the stake again. Suddenly, Aurora came into the room and pushed Jeremy over to Matt.

"Get him out of here, Matt!" She told Matt

" Come on. Let's get out of here." Matt said as he brought Jeremy out of the room

I tried to take the stake out but before I could Aurora came over to me.

" Let me do it." Aurora said before carefully pulling out the stake

" Thanks." I choked out as the wound in my neck healed and I got to my feet, " How did you know about Jer?"

" I didn't." She said, pulling a napkin out of her purse and handing it to me to clean the blood off of my neck, " I saw you run in here after Jeremy and wanted to make sure everything was okay. Lucky for you that I did."

As Aurora was talking I was suddenly pulled into a vision.

"_What am I doing here?" Jeremy asked Stefan as he walked into the Lockwood Cellar _

" _You have the chance to make Audrey human again." Stefan told him, "You interested?"_

"_You have no idea." Jeremy said_

" _Actually, I do." Stefan said, leading Jeremy into the cellar_

"_Who is that?" Jeremy asked when he saw a man chained down_

"_Oh, it doesn't really matter. All that matters is that you're a vampire hunter and he's a vampire." Stefan told him, pulling out a knife, "Well, almost."_

_Stefan grabbed Jeremy's wrist and cut it open, dragging him over to the man and making him drink Jeremy's blood_

" _What is this?" Jeremy snapped as Stefan held a stake out for Jeremy to take, "All so I can stake him?"_

" _You think I want to do this, Jeremy?" Stefan asked him, "Look at me, I hate this, I don't want to do this. But your cousin isn't supposed to be a vampire and we need to help her. Now, he's a murderer and he will gladly kill again, so do it, Jeremy. Kill him."_

_When Jeremy didn't make a move to take the stake, Stefan shoved the stake into Jeremy's hand and walked over to the new vampire. Stefan undid the chains that were holding the murderer back and slowly started to walk him over to Jeremy._

"_Stefan, what are you doing?!" Jeremy yelled as the convict tried to lung at him, "What the hell is wrong with you!?"_

"_Do it, Jeremy or I will rip the chains off for real!" Stefan threatened, "Do it!" _

_After a few more moments, Jeremy shoved the stake into the vampire in the chest and he fell to the floor when Stefan let go of the chains. Jeremy kneeled over the now dead vampire and stabbed him in the back a few more times._

"_Alright, enough." Stefan told Jeremy, "He's dead."_

_Jeremy took the stake out of the man's back before standing up and turning to look at Stefan._

" Hello?" Aurora said as she waved her hand in front of my face, " Earth to Audrey."

" Yeah, I'm here." I told her, " Have you seen Stefan lately?"

" Uh, yeah, I saw him walking around out back as I came in here." She told me, " Why?"

" I have to talk to him." I replied vaguely as I cleaned off my neck, " You go find Jace and I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

I didn't wait for Aurora to reply as I turned to walk out of the house.

* * *

After a few minutes of walking around the Lockwood property I found Stefan and ran up to him.

" Stefan!" I called, causing him to turn around

" Uh, hey, have you seen Jeremy?" he asked me

" Yes, a few minutes ago when he stabbed me in the neck." I told him angrily, " And what the hell was with you having Jer kill another vampire?"

" You saw that?" Stefan said

"Yes, I did." I said, " Now answer my question."

" We need the map to find the cure, Audrey." Stefan told me, " The only way to get the map is for him to kill vampires."

" If getting my humanity back means stripping Jeremy of his, then I don't want the cure." I told him

" He's the only way to fix all of this."

"You mean me. The only way to fix me. You don't have to like me like this but this is who I am now. The old Audrey died when she went off that bridge. Let her go. " I snapped at Stefan before storming off.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Later that night, Jeremy was in his room, packing himself a bag, when Matt walked in.

"What are you doing?" Matt asked him

" I can't keep living here if I want to kill my cousin." Jeremy said as he continued to pack

"Audrey knows that." Matt told Jeremy, "That's why she and Aurora moved out and she asked me to move in to help Elena keep an eye on you.

"What?" Jeremy asked in surprised as he stopped packing and looked up at Matt

"Look, I'm not one of them, Jer." Matt said, "I'll keep an eye on you and we can keep this Hunter business in check."

"Where are Audrey and Aurora gonna go?"

* * *

Damon opened the front door of the boarding house to reveal Audrey and Aurora, both holding bags full of their things. As they made their way into the house Stefan walked into the room and looked at the two girls.

" We can't stay at home anymore." Audrey told him

"Pick a room." Stefan said to Aurora, knowing that Audrey already had a room to stay in, "I'm gonna crash somewhere else."

With that Stefan walked past the two and out of the boarding house.

* * *

" Tell me it's over, Ty." Kim, a hybrid that had been trying all day to break her sire bond to Klaus, said to Tyler tiredly, "I really don't think I can do this anymore. "

" It's over." Tyler said, kneeling down next to her, "Nice work. We're one step closer to ending this."

Tyler stood up as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a text to Hayley.

* * *

'_Kim broke the sire bond. Where are you?' _Hayley read the message as she stood in the office of Professor Shane.

" We got another one." She smiled

" Good." Shane said as he sat in his chair, "Then we're almost ready."

"I want to leave Tyler out of this when it all goes down." Hayley told Shane

" We'll talk when you've broken the last one."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

After I had helped Aurora settle into a room, she told me that she was going to head over to Jace's house for a while before she left. Then I moved into the parlor and took a seat on the couch next to the fireplace. Damon walked into the room a few minutes later, and when he saw me he poured two glasses of bourbon.

"Thanks." I said, downing the whole glass

" I'm impressed." Damon said as I poured myself another glass, " Just a few months ago you couldn't stand bourbon.."

" Yeah, well the stress of being almost killed multiple times a week will do that to someone." I said

" Yes it will." Damon agreed, taking a sip of his drink

" Plus, Jeremy can't live with me, Stefan wants to fix me, and Caroline flat out admitted that she doesn't like me this way." I told him as I took another sip of bourbon, "I think it's safe to say that I'm not so great at this vampire thing."

"You want to know what I think." Damon said, " I don't think I've ever seen you more alive."

We looked at each other for a moment before I smiled and looked down at my glass.

" You know since I was busy getting staked in the neck by Jeremy we never got to dance today." I said, looking back up at Damon, " And I really wanted to dance with you."

Damon set his glass down on the table before he took my glass and did the same. He stood up and put his hand out for me to take. I smiled up at him as I took his hand and got to my feet. Damon led me away from the couch before moving his free hand to rest on my waist as I moved mine to his shoulder. We leaned closer to each other so that out foreheads were touching as we began to dance slowly.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V **

"Just promise me you won't stop looking for the cure." Caroline said to Stefan as the two sat in the living room of the Forbes house

"Klaus won't let me even if I wanted to." Stefan told her as he poured Caroline and himself a shot

"Why does he care?" Caroline asked before downing the shot, "He doesn't even want it."

"He wants to keep Audrey human so that he can make more hybrids." Stefan explained to her

"He's gonna need them." Caroline told him, "Tyler's almost got all of them unsired." Then a look of realization crossed her face as she said, " Oh my God. Oh. My. God."

" What is it?" Stefan asked her

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

As we were dancing, Damon spun me around and when he pulled me back in our lips met and I wrapped my arms around his neck as we started to kiss .

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V **

" I was trying to understand why Klaus was so intrigued by Damon and Audrey." Caroline said as he got up from her chair, "He said I would figure it out. This is what he was talking about."

" What are you talking about?" Stefan asked her

"Think about it." Caroline told him, "Every time Audrey's had a problem, Damon's been the magic solution. Today, Audrey was worried about Jeremy. Who swoops in and tells her to relax? Damon. And she listens." Stefan still seemed confused so Caroline continued, "When Audrey started feeding, who said that she could only drink blood straight from the vein?"

"Damon." Stefan answered

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

As our kiss became more heated I used my vampire speed to slam Damon into the wall, accidentally causing a lamp to fall off of the table next to us and break as when it hit the ground.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

"And when she tried to drink from animals?" Caroline asked

"She couldn't keep it down." Stefan replied, coming to the same conclusion as Caroline

"And blood bags?" Caroline questioned

"Same thing."

"Name one vampire in the history of vampires who couldn't drink from a blood bag." Caroline said, "Damon said she couldn't, so she couldn't."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V **

I pulled away for a moment and ripped open Damon's shirt before kissing him again. Suddenly, Damon flipped us around so my back was pressed up against the wall. I jumped up and wrapped my legs around his waist as we continued to make out.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V **

"Damon likes the red dress. Audrey likes the red dress." Caroline continued

"Damon says kill Connor and she kills Connor." Stefan added

" What if it's possible? Damon's blood made her a vampire, right?" Caroline asked as Stefan looked up at her, "It's rare, but it happens. What if this is one of those times?" Caroline took a seat before finishing, " What if this is really happening?"

" Audrey's sired to Damon." Stefan realized

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

Damon and I stumbled into his room and over to his bed as Damon shrugged off his shirt and I threw my shirt to the ground. I pushed Damon down onto the bed and moved on top of him as we continued to kiss. Damon rolled us over so that he was hovering over me and moved his lips down to my neck as he started kissing down my neck and collor bone. I took his face in my hands and brought his lips back to mine as things started to get even more heated.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Hope you enjoyed. Please make sure to review on the way out.**

**Audrey;D**


	8. We'll Always Have Bourbon Street

**Chapter Eight- We'll Always Have Bourbon Street**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

"Audrey?" Damon called out as he looked around the room

" Hey." I greeted as I walked into the room wearing one of Damon's shirts

" Hey." Damon replied as I jumped into the bed next to him," Thought you might have left."

" No, I don't have to be at school for…" I trailed off, looking at the clock on the bedside table, " at least twenty minutes ago." I smiled before leaning in to kiss Damon.

When we pulled away, Damon smiled as he started playing with my hair.

" What's that face?" I asked him

" What face?" Damon said as he smiled again

" That face."

"I'm happy." Damon said, his smile growing before he brought his lips down to mine.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

"This is a disaster." Caroline said to Stefan as she leaned against the door frame and Stefan cleaned up the couch where he had slept the night before

"Look, we don't know anything for sure." Stefan said as he turned to face Caroline

"Yes we do!" Caroline shouted, " Audrey is sired to Damon! Which means her one singular burning desire is to make him happy, just like Klaus and his hybrids."

"No it's not." Stefan told her, " A vampire sired to another vampire is one and a million. Maybe it won't affect her the same way."

" We need to do something." Caroline said as she pulled her phone out of her pocket

" Wait, no, hold on Caroline." Stefan said, quickly taking her phone out of her hand, " This isn't gossip, you can't just drop this on her before we know what's happening for sure."

" I need to talk to Tyler, okay?" Caroline told Stefan, " Maybe he'll know what to do."

" Alright, talk to Tyler but please don't tell anyone else." Stefan said as he handed Caroline back her phone, " If this is true, than it may have influenced Audrey's every action and emotion since she became a vampire."

* * *

Hayley, Tyler, and Kimberly stood around and abandoned barn as they watched a hybrid named Adrian turn into a wolf repeatedly.

" Please, no more, I can't." Adrian panted

" Yes you can." Tyler told him, "Block out the pain."

Adrian screamed in pain as he started to turn again.

" That's enough." Kim snapped, " This is torture."

"Kim, stop." Hayley told Kim, " He needs to finish."

" Not today he doesn't." Kim said as she unchained Adrian

"Yes, today." Hayley insisted, " Nate, Dean and Chris are all dead, which makes Adrian Klaus's right hand. We can't let Adrian anywhere near Klaus until his sire bond is completely broken."

" Hayley is right." Tyler agreed, " The bond isn't broken until he doesn't feel the pain of transformation anymore. If we want to get back at Klaus for everything he's done to us, Adrian has to keep turning."

" He doesn't have to do anything." Kim said, " Isn't that the point of breaking the sire bong? Free will?" Tyler and Hayley didn't say a word as they exchanged glances, " Let's go Adrian."

Then Kimberly helped Adrian to her feet and led him out of the barn.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V **

A little while later, Damon and I had gotten dressed and we were now heading for the front door since I had to go to school.

" Bag?" Damon asked me

" Got it." I said as I picked my bag up from the a small table near the entrance

" Scarf?" Damon asked but I was pretty sure it was in my bag

" What-" I was cut off by Damon taking my scarf, wrapping it around my neck and pulling me to him to kiss me again.

As we continued to kiss I heard the front door open and we pulled away from each other to see that Stefan had just walked in.

"Oh, hey Stefan." I greeted him with a smile

" Hey." Stefan replied awkwardly

" See you in history?" I asked him

" Yeah."

" I'll see you later, Damon." I said before heading out of the boarding house and to my car.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

As soon as Audrey was gone, Stefan turned to his brother.

" Listen, we need to talk." Stefan told him

Stefan and Damon had moved to sit in the parlor and Stefan told Damon everything that he and Caroline had figured out the night before.

"Sired? Really, Stefan?" Damon asked in annoyance, "That is the most pathetic thing that I have ever heard come out of your mouth, and you've said some crap in your day."

" It was you blood that turned her, right?" Stefan said, " I mean, she's been different from day one because of you. You can't deny that."

" Sure I can." Damon said, " I finally got Audrey in a good place about being a vampire and you two idiots can't stand that she's happy because of me."

" All right. You know what? Prove me wrong." Stefan told Damon, " Tell her it's okay to drink from a blood bag."

" She can't. Her weird psychic body rejected the blood from the bag." Damon reminded his younger brother

" Right, because you told her to. You said she had to drink warm human blood straight from the vein. She almost died to make you happy." Stefan said, earning a look of skepticism from Damon, " Look, just ask her to drink from a blood bag. Make sure you tell her how happy you'll be if it works, and if I'm wrong, I'll be the first to apologize."

"When her body rejects this blood, which it will, your apology better be epic." Damon said to Stefan before he got up and walked out of the room.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

" Audrey!" Bonnie called as I walked down the hallway towards her and Caroline, " Hey, everything okay?"

" Yeah." I told her, " Why wouldn't it be?"

" Well, Caroline told me that you and Aurora had to move out to stay away from Jeremy." Bonnie said

"Matt is staying at the house with him and Elena to make sure that Jeremy keeps all his hunter stuff in control." I told Bonnie, " He's okay."

" But are you? I mean, clearly they don't have a flat iron at hotel Salvatore." Caroline said with a laugh as she gestured to the messy bun had thrown my hair into in a rush .

" I was in a rush." I told her as I let my hair down and ran a hand through it, " Look, go you guys have any plans tonight? I'm in desperate need of a girls night. I already talked to Aurora and Elena and they are on board."

" I'm in." Bonnie smiled, " Shane taught me some small spells I've been wanting to try."

" Oh, creepy professor guy is just Shane now." Caroline said

" He's not creepy." Bonnie told her

" We're not judging." I said

"I am!" Caroline interjected

" Don't listen to her." I smiled at Bonnie, "So, girls' night? We can raid the Salvatore wine cellar."

"Um, are you sure Stefan and Damon are cool with us crashing at their place?" Caroline asked me

" I can't go home because Jeremy is trying to kill me." I told them as I saw Damon standing down the hallway, gesturing for me to join him before walking into an empty room, " So their place is mine too. I'll see you in a bit." I finished before walking off to join Damon

* * *

" What are you doing here?" I asked Damon as I walked up to him

" You forgot your lunch." Damon said as he pulled a blood bag out of his jacket

" I can't." I said, " You know I can't."

" Well the last time you tried it, the circumstances were less than optimal and I think maybe you should just give it another try, see if it works. I really think it will." Damon said as I looked as him warily, " Please. For me?"

Damon handed me the blood bag and I took, ripping the top off before starting to drink the blood. I was expecting the blood to taste as bad it had last time but it was actually pretty good.

" You okay?" Damon asked me

" I'm fine. It tastes like blood. Last time, it was like hot garbage." I told him before taking another sip

"You sure you're okay?" Damon asked me again

" I'm better than okay. I mean, maybe last time it was a bad batch or something. I can't believe this, Damon. I don't have to hurt anyone anymore." I smiled as I threw my arms around Damon, " I have to get to class." I told him, pulling away, " Thank you." I gave Damon a quick kiss before heading out of the room.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Hayley was in Professor Shane's office over at Whitmore College and she was searching through all of his things when Shane walked in.

" Trespassing, breaking and entering all before noon?" Shane said to Hayley as she looked up at him

" We're having trouble breaking Adrian." Hayley told him

" Don't worry about it." Shane said, walking towards his desk, " You already got the twelve hybrids I need."

" We have eleven." Hayley said, " I told you, Tyler Lockwood isn't part of the deal."

" Well, now there's eleven hybrids. You deliver me twelve without loyalties to Klaus or your friend Tyler becomes fair game."

" You haven't held up your end of the bargain." She told Shane

" Right." Shane said as he pulled a flash drive out of his jacket pocket, " This is everything you always wanted to know about your biological parents. And it's encoded in case you're thinking of a smash and grab. Just bring me twelve unsired hybrids and it's yours."

* * *

" I talked to Tyler." Caroline told Stefan as she talked to him over the phone

" And?"

" The sire bond exists because the hybrids are grateful to Klaus for revealing them from the pain of having to wolf out every full moon, and that's why they have to turn until they're not ruled by pain anymore." Caroline explained

"Right, but Audrey's not a werewolf so what's the vampire equivalent?" Stefan asked

"Well, that's the problem." Caroline told him, " There isn't one."

* * *

Damon was sitting in the study of the boarding house as he looked though a few different stacks of papers.

" What are you doing?" Stefan asked as he walked into the room

" Audrey is sired." Damon told Stefan without looking up from the papers in front of him, "You were right, I was wrong. Happy?"

"No, I'm not happy." Stefan said, " But what are we gonna do about it?"

" Well, I'm working on it." Damon said as he found a picture and handed it to Stefan, "Remember that?"

" New Orleans." Stefan said as he looked at the picture

" 1942 to be exact."

" What was in New Orleans , 1942?" Stefan asked as he took a seat

"Other than bourbon and beads…" Damon started as he looked up at Stefan, " Us, Stefan."

" Oh yeah." Stefan remembered, " What was the name of that girl that you used to hang out with?"

" That was no ordinary girl. That was Charlotte." Damon said with a smile, " She was crazy about me from the moment we met. So, of course, when she asked me to turn her, I did."

_**New Orleans-1942 **_

Damon is sitting inside a bar drinking a glass of bourbon as he listened to the band which was playing jazz Than Charlotte walked in and took a seat next to him.

" Hey." Damon greeted her with a smile

" Hi." Charlotte greeted back

"So, did you decide who you would like to have for dinner tonight?" Damon asked her

" Him." Charlotte said as she pointed to the man that was singing for the band, " He looks tasty."

" That's a very fine choice, Miss Charlotte. I will go set that up." Damon said as he got up from his chair, " Now, if anyone tries to touch my drink, you show them no mercy, okay?"

As Damon walked away, a man in a sailor's uniform came up to the bar and accidentally knocked over Damon's drink.

" You spilled my man's drink." Charlotte said angrily as she stood up

" Sorry." the sailor said with a smile, " It's crowded in here."

" That's no excuse." Charlotte snapped

"Hey, take it easy lady."

" I'm not gonna take it easy." Charlotte said before snapping his neck

Damon, who had seen the whole thing, ran up and caught the dead sailor before he could fall to the floor.

"What did you do?" Damon asked Charlotte as he looked around to make sure that no one had seen what she had done

" He touched your drink." Charlotte said, " You said show no mercy. I thought you'd be happy."

_**Boarding house-Present**_

" That was my first clue." Damon said to Stefan

"She was sired to you, and I can only assume that you took full advantage of that until you got bored of her, right?" Stefan guessed

" More like until she went all Fatal Attraction on me, then I had to make a clean break." Damon said

" How did you do that?" Stefan asked as Damon found the paper he had been looking for

"Ah, here." Damon said, handing the paper to Stefan

" Who is Valerie LaMarche?" Stefan asked as he read the paper which said ' Valerie LaMarche, 920 Dauphine St.'

" The witch that helped me break little Charlotte's sire bond." Damon explained as he got to his feet, " Pack you bags, baby bro. We're going to Bourbon Street."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

A few hours after school had ended, Caroline, Bonnie and Elena had arrived at the boarding house, joining Aurora and I. As the girls got comfortable in the parlor, I grabbed a few bottles of wine from the cellar and a bottle of bourbon from Damon's private collection.

" Here you guys go." I said as I handed a bottle of wine to everyone, keeping the bourbon for myself.

" I'm assuming this is for Aurora." Elena said as she picked up the blood bag I had grabbed from the cooler

" Actually, it's for me." I said, taking it before Aurora did

" I thought-" Caroline trailed off

" Oh." Bonnie started, " Are you saying that-"

I opened up the blood bag and took a sip of blood to show them that I could keep it down.

" Thanks to Damon, I am now a functional dysfunctional vampire." I said with a smile

"That's amazing." Bonnie said

" What do you mean. 'Thanks to Damon' ?" Caroline asked me

" Well, he suggested that I try it again. So I did, and it worked." I said, grabbing my bourbon before sitting down next to Aurora, " No more snatch, eat, and erase."

" So, where is Damon tonight?" Aurora asked me

" ' Out with Stefan for the night, don't wait up.'" I read the text Damon had sent me aloud, " ' Brother bonding'"

" Hm, so you guys check-in text," Caroline said, " What else do you do?"

" I know that you're not the biggest fan, but he kind of just changed my life." I said to Care, " Do you mind laying off on all the hate?"

" Okay, new girls night rule: no boy talk." Elena said

" Yeah. Plus, why talk when we have this?" Bonnie asked as she held up a bag of black herbs

" Is that stoner tea?" Aurora asked Bonnie in shock

" It's spirit tea. It opens up your chi or whatever." Bonnie said, not really convincing anyone, " Come on, it's not drugs! Shane is helping me do natural magic without having to access the spirits."

" Mm-hmm." Caroline said in a judgey tone

" Don't judge." Aurora said to Care

" Okay, fine." Caroline said, " I hereby vow not to be judgmental for the rest of the evening. Even if you guys are potentially ruining the rest of your lives as I stand idly by. It's your choice."

" I'll drink to that." I said as I held up the bottle of bourbon, Care, Bonnie, Aurora, and Elena doing the same, " Cheers."

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Damon and Stefan walked down Bourbon Street as loud music was playing and people were parting around them.

" Well, the city is the same." Stefan said as he looked around, " Just brighter."

"Have you been back her since '42?" Damon asked his brother

" Nope, not since I shipped off to join the war effort and you didn't." Stefan said

" Somebody had to entertain the ladies who had been left by their menfolk." Damon told Stefan as his phone chimed, signaling him to a new text, " Hey, good news." Damon said as he read the message, " Audrey is at the house with the girls where she can't get in trouble. Bad news, I think they got into the Dom. Well, I told her to make herself at home."

" Yeah, you told her so she does, right?" Stefan asked, stopping to stand in front of Damon

" Sire bond isn't that literal, Stefan." Damon scoffed as he walked past him

" Really?" Stefan questioned, " Name one thing that you've asked her to do that you haven't gotten, huh?"

" You know what I haven't gotten?" Damon said, "Blame, guilt. I get it Stefan. You pissed because I get to be with someone that I love and you don't. And you can't blame the sire bond for that."

" Sure I can." Stefan said

" Why, because it's impossible to think that she has feelings for me?" Damon asked Stefan

" No, because it's impossible for her to be so blind that she doesn't see how wrong you are for her." Stefan snapped, instead of replying Damon turned and continued to walk down the street, " Hey, wait, Damon I'm sorry."

" What'd you say?" Damon asked as he turned to face his brother

_**New Orleans- 1942**_

"I'm sorry I blamed you for my bloodlust and for me becoming a ripper. It wasn't you fault." Stefan said, reciting his apology for Damon as he and Lexi walked into the bar, " Do I really have to say that it wasn't his fault?"

" Yes, keep going." Lexi told him

" You're the only brother I have and I hope that we can be friends again." he finished

" Perfect." Lexi smiled, " Now, just remember we're here to talk to Damon, no yell, not to drudge up the past, and most definitely not to pick a fight."

" That's the real trick, isn't it?" Stefan asked her

"You've spent the last twenty years turning your life around." Lexi reminded him, " It's time to make nice with your brother."

Stefan nodded as he and Lexi headed over to the bar where Damon was sitting. Stefan lightly slapped Damon on he back and Damon turned and looked in shock at his brother.

" You look like a guy that I used to know." Damon said as he recover from shock

"Hello, Damon." Stefan greeted

" Come to put a stake in my heart?" Damon asked

" More like bury the hatchet." Stefan said as he extended his hand

Damon looked down at his brother's hand hesitantly before shaking it and smiling as he pulled his younger in for a hug.

* * *

" Egypt, ha!" Damon said as Stefan was telling him about traveling over sees, " Finally get to see the pyramids!"

"Oh, I doubt I'll do much sightseeing driving an ambulance through the front lines." Stefan said, " But yeah, Egypt."

" Think they have room for another driver?" Damon asked Stefan who looked surprised at the question, " I could handle some war if it meant spending quality time with my brother."

" Tell you what, I'll take to my C.O." Stefan told him before walking away

" You're not going." Lexi told Damon

" I don't like you." Damon replied

" In 1912, you pressured Stefan to drink human blood." Lexi reminded him, " He's been trying to put his ripper days behind him, but he needs death and blood so he can deal with them as a part of life. He needs balance, restraint."

" What makes you thing I'm not balanced and restrained?" Damon asked her

" The fact that you never have been." Lexi snapped, "You think of what you want first, second, and third. Stefan is better off alone than in your company."

" Well, I beg to differ." Damon told her

Stefan returned and Damon and Lexi both put on smiles for his benefit.

" To the Salvatore's in Egypt." Stefan said as the three of them clinked glasses, " Cheers."

" Damon." Charlotte said as she walked up to the three, a woman in her arms, " Did you forget that you were supposed to meet us for dinner?"

" Sorry, I lost track of time." Damon told her

" I brought you leftovers." Charlotte said, moving the woman's neck to show Damon the blood that was dripping down her neck

" Charlotte!" Damon hissed was Charlotte passed the woman to Stefan

" Get away from him." Lexi snapped as Damon took the woman from Stefan

Some of the woman's blood had made its way onto Stefan's fingers and he was now staring down at it.

" Stefan." Damon said as he placed a hand on his brothers shoulder, watching as veins appeared under Stefan's eyes, " Stefan?"

" I…I…" Stefan trailed off as he continued to look at the blood

"She's better off without you, too." Lexi told Damon as she grabbed hold of Stefan and quickly led him away from the bar.

_**New Orleans-Present**_

" I apologize, all right?" Stefan said as he walked next to Damon, " As much as I hate this sire bond thing, I shouldn't take it out on you. It's not really your fault."

" Well, don't get all warm and fuzzy on me yet." Damon said as the two stopped in front of an apartment building, " It's were the witch lived."

"What, you weren't expecting to find the same exact witch in the same place were you?" Stefan asked

"No, but since I couldn't remember where the store was, I figured it'd give us a start." Damon said

" Maybe there's another place to start." Stefan suggested, " You think Charlotte might be in New Orleans."

" Yeah, maybe." Damon said

" Where was the last place that you saw her?" Stefan asked

" Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine. Kind of told her to count every brick in every building in New Orleans, and I'd meet her at the corner." Damon told him, " I was gone by morning."

Stefan looked at Damon in disbelief for a moment before turning and beginning to walk away.

" Where are you going?" Damon asked Stefan

" Corner of Bourbon and Dumaine." Stefan called out as he continued to walk, "See how literal the sire bond is."

Damon sighed as followed after Stefan to the corner of Bourbon and Dumaine.

* * *

" There's no way she's gonna be in the same spot after seventy years." Damon said as the two stopped at the corner of the street

" So, what are you going to tell Audrey?" Stefan questioned

"I was hoping I wouldn't have to tell her anything." Damon replied

" Well, you can't just lie to her." Stefan scoffed

"It's not a lie." Damon said, " It's an omission for the greater good."

" Oh, I see, that's Damon speak for 'Let's not do the right thing, let's just do what's right for me.'" Stefan said

The two looked at each other for a minute before Damon spoke up.

" I'm gonna get a drink." Damon told him, " Hunt me down when you stop being a dick."

Stefan watched as Damon walked around the corner and down another empty street. Damon continued to walk down the street when he heard a noise and stopped to look around. When he found nothing, he turned back around and someone ran at him, knocking him to the ground. Stefan ran around the corner when he heard this and ripped the person off of Damon, throwing them to the sidewalk.

" What the hell just happened?" Stefan asked as Damon as he got to his feet

" She kissed me." Damon told him

Damon and Stefan turned to see Charlotte get off of the ground.

" Damon, I always knew you'd come back for me." Charlotte smiled, " I must have counted literally every brick on every building in all of New Orleans."

"Literally every brick?" Stefan asked

Charlotte continued to smile as she wrapped her arms around Damon's neck, although Damon was trying to back away from her.

" Uh, Charlotte." Damon said awkwardly as he removed her arms from around his neck and backed up, " Please tell me you had a full life and that you've done something other than counting bricks."

" Of course I have." Charlotte told him, " I'm not crazy."

" Than why are you still here?" Stefan asked her

" You know when someone breaks up with you and there's a song that reminds you of them? First you hate it but it brings back all the good memories of them." Charlotte explained as she looked at Damon longingly, "Counting the bricks is my song and I've been playing it for decades."

" That's a really long time stuck listening to the same song." Stefan said dryly

" Yeah." Damon said, trying to keep the distance between him and Charlotte, " Well, in the plus column, you know New Orleans better than anyone in the world. Which is really nice because we need your help finding someone."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

A few hours and several glasses of champagne and bourbon later Elena, Aurora, Bonnie, Caroline and I were laughing and dancing around the living room. I was about to take another sip of bourbon when I realized that the bottle was completely empty. I set the bottle don before using my vampire speed to run into the kitchen and grab another bottle. Everyone cheered as I opened up the bottle and poured myself another glass. A little while later we had made out way into Damon's bathroom and I was lounging in his bathtub as Bonnie, Elena, Aurora, and Caroline sat around the tub.

" Check this out." Bonnie said as she held up her phone, showing us the video she has taken earlier, " Vamp speed video."

" I look like superman." I laughed as I took her phone, pausing the video at the moment I was using my vampire speed to run into the kitchen, "Watch this. This years Christmas card." We all laughed before I continued, " Being a vampire is so weird. Oh my God, I love this bathtub. Why don't we come and hang out here more often?"

" I'll tell you why. Cooties." Caroline laughed, "Think of all the germ ridden skanks that Damon that has lured into his den of iniquity."

" Caroline, seriously." Aurora said as I sat up in the tub

"Ok, I'm sorry." Caroline apologized. " I've been good all night. I'm stopping now."

"No, don't stop on my account." I told her, " Rip away. I mean, it's only Damon, right?"

" Well, say what you want about Ripper Stefan, but at least he wasn't a man slut." Caroline said

" Come on." Bonnie told Caroline

" So, what exactly was it about him that made you jump into bed with him as soon as you met him?" I snapped at her

"I didn't know what a sociopath narcissist he was." Caroline said

"He's always been there for me when I needed him." I told her

"Yeah, because he's hoping you'll sleep with him." Caroline snapped

" Well, maybe I did."

"You did what?" Caroline shouted

" You didn't." Elena said to me

"Yeah, I did. Look, I know you guys have issues with him, but I'm happy, and I wanted to spend tonight with my best friends so that I could tell them about it." I told them before I got out of the tub and walked out of the bathroom

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Damon and Stefan headed into the shop that Charlotte had pointed out to them and they were greeted by a middle aged woman.

" Can I help you gentleman?" the woman asked

"Look…" Damon trailed off as he looked at a chalk board behind the woman that said 'Nandi Special', " Nandi, is it? Let's skip the part where you pretend like you don't know what we're talking about. We need a spell that could break a sire bond. Now, there was a witch here named Val. Ring any bells?"

" She was my great-grandmother." Nandi told Damon

"She had a grimoire and it had the spell." Damon started

_**New Orleans-1942**_

"The magic you are talking about is dark, powerful." Val told Damon, " Magic like that doesn't come cheap."

As Val was talking, Damon looked at Val's daughter who was writing at a table in the corner of the room before he turned back to Val.

"How much?" Damon asked her

" Money won't cut it here, pretty one." Val told him, "Dark magic draws power from dark places. Casting the spell you need requires the sacrifice of twelve human souls."

_**New Orleans-Present **_

" A sacrifice?" Stefan asked, " You brought me here knowing that the spell required a human sacrifice."

" Well, I was hoping the recipe had changed." Damon told him

" Look, there's no magic like that here." Nandi said, " I sell herbs and homeopathic remedies and dress it up with a little witchy-woo-woo for the tourists, but I don't practice."

"Okay, fine, listen, just tell us where we can find someone like your great-grandma who can break the sire bond and won't flake out on us like old Val did." Damon said

"There's no one." Nandi told him, " All of her stuff is gone- the grimoires, her journals. We lost all of it during Katrina. If a spell like that ever did exist, it's gone for good."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V **

As I was cleaning up the empty champagne bottles from the living room, Bonnie, Caroline, Elena, and Aurora walked in.

" Audrey, come on." Bonnie said

" Party's over." I told them, " Aurora, you're welcome to stay but the rest of you need to leave."

" Don't be mad, okay?" Caroline said, " We're just looking out for you."

" Do you think it makes me happy that you guys hate him?" I snapped at them, " I get it. His track record has been king of spotty but I love him."

" Ugh, you're not in love with him, Audrey." Caroline said, " You're sired to him."

" What?" Aurora asked her

" What the hell are you talking about?" I asked her angrily, setting down the empty bottles and turning to her

" Look, I'm sorry that it came out like that, but it's true." Caroline started, " Damon's blood turned you. You couldn't feed from animals or blood bags because he told you so. Then he suggested that you try again with blood bags and suddenly…"

"No." I shook my head, " There's no way."

" Are you sure?" Elena asked her

"Yeah." Caroline told her before turning to me, " Ask Stefan about it. He can explain it better than I can."

" I'm sorry, you talked to Stefan about this?" I asked her

"It's not your fault, Audrey." Caroline said, " Okay, Damon took advantage of you."

"Look, I don't know what the hell your and Stefan's problem is but you guys need to leave me and Damon alone and mind your own damn business." I snapped at her

" Audrey, calm down." Aurora told me

" No Aurora, I'm not gonna calm down." I said before returning my attention to Caroline, Elena, and Bonnie, " You need to leave. Now!"

When none of them made a move, I walked past them to the door.

"Audrey." Bonnie said, " Come on."

" I said leave." I told them as I opened the door

" Hello girls." someone said and I looked to see a girl and three guys standing on the porch

Before I could do anything the girl ran in and knocked me into the wall before running over to Caroline and grabbing her by the throat. As I tried to get up one of the guys came at me and I threw him into one of the walls. In a blur, the guy got back up, grabbed me by the throat and slammed me into the wall. I started to hear chanting and I looked over to see that Bonnie, who was the only one not being held down by a hybrid, was reciting a spell of some kind.

" Stop!" the woman said as he held onto Caroline and Bonnie stopped, "One bite from a hybrid and she's dead, remember?"

Suddenly, the guy threw me to the ground and when I got back up the hybrids were gone and so was Caroline.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" Witch is lying." Damon said to Stefan as they walked down the street, "Doesn't practice magic my ass."

" Human sacrifice?" Stefan asked, " Did you really think I would go for that?"

" Extreme circumstances call for extreme measures." Damon said as the two walked towards Charlotte

" Did you kill those twelve people in 1942?" Stefan inquired

" Absolutely I did and I'd do it again in a heart beat if it meant a clean slate with Audrey." Damon told him, " Are you gonna help be good cop/bad cop this witch or not?"

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I called Tyler immediately after Caroline had been taken and he told me to meet him at his house so we could find her. I had Aurora and Elena stay with Bonnie at the boarding house to keep them out of harms way and so Bonnie could try a locator spell. When I had arrived at Tyler's house he told me that he had a good idea of where the hybrids were and we headed into the woods.

"I get it, Hayley." Tyler said as he talked to Hayley over the phone, " I'll find them and I'll get them in line."

" Bonnie says no luck with the locator spell." I told him when he hung up

"They've got to be here." Tyler said as we continued to walk, " They're not dumb enough to risk getting caught by Klaus in town."

" Well, what do they want with Caroline?" I asked him

" Kim is trying to prove that she's the Alpha." Tyler explained, "If I can make her submit, the pack will fall in line and we can finally get them free from Klaus. You'd think they'd play along with how much they hate him."

" But Adrian doesn't, does he?" I asked him, " I mean, he's still sired to Klaus."

" Being sired doesn't mean you feel differently about someone." Tyler told me, " I hated Klaus but I still did everything that he said. The bond affects how you act, not how you feel."

As I thought about this we heard Caroline scream and we both looked at each other before running toward the sound.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

As Nandi was working in her shop, Damon walked into the shop behind her.

" What are you doing here?" Nandi asked him when she turned to face him

"Calling you out. Your not Val's great granddaughter. You're her daughter." Damon said, remembering Val's daughter, sitting at the table writing Nandi into her notebook over and over again back in 1942, " You're eighty years old but you don't look a day over fifty. You're a practicing witch."

" Get out of my store." Nandi told him

" Give me what I want." Damon demanded as he walked towards Nandi but he didn't get very far before Nandi started giving him an aneurysm

" I gave you a chance to leave with your life." Nandi told him

" Wait, wait, wait, wait." Stefan said as he ran into the store, " We don't want any trouble okay? We just need your help. That's all."

" I told you, there's no one here who can help you." Nandi told Stefan as she stopped the spell on Damon, " The kind of magic my mother practiced, it's unnatural. Witches don't even call it magic. We call it expression."

" Is that like black magic?" Stefan asked

" Worse. Channeling the power of human sacrifices call on darkness that can't exist on this plane without swallowing it whole." Nandi explained looking down at Damon, " She sold you a bill of goods about breaking the sire bond because she wanted access to that power and you gave it to her when you killed those twelve people."

" Are you saying there's no spell?" Damon asked as stood up

" The bond can't be broken with magic." Nandi said, " A vampire only bonds to her sire when she has feelings for him before she turns, human feelings. Vampirism only heightens those emotions. You want her free? You have to set her free. Tell her to live life without you and to never think of you again, to stop caring about you, and then leave her. That's the only way around the sire bond."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

As Tyler and I got closer to where Kim was holding Caroline I was able to hear what they were saying more clearly.

" Why are you doing this?" Caroline asked

" To show Tyler's who's in charge." I heard Kim say right before Caroline screamed again

" Stop! Stop it, Kim." Tyler shouted as we ran into an old barn where Kim, Adrian, and Caroline were, "Caroline's with us. We're all on the same team."

" She's on your team, not mine." Kim said as more hybrids grabbed up from behind

As Tyler and I struggled to get free, Kim broke Caroline's wrist and Caroline screamed in pain.

" Stop it! Stop!" Tyler yelled

"Ease up, Kim." Adrian told Kim, "Klaus won't like this."

" That's a very good point. Do you think he'll like this?" Kim asked as she held up a stake

"Kim! Don't do it." Tyler said, " I swear to God."

" No. Wait, wait, wait." I said to Kim as she was about to stake Caroline, "If you really want to hit Klaus where it hurts then torture me instead. He's fixated on keeping me alive. You want real revenge or not?"

Kim thought about it for a minute before she lowered the stake and walked up to me. She grabbed my throat and raised the stake but as she was about to kill me, Tyler broke free. He grabbed Kim, shoving his hand into her chest and grabbing her heart.

" Stay back!" Tyler ordered the other hybrids as they moved to help Kim, " I'll rip her heart out right now." then he looked Kim dead in the eyes, " Kim put you all at risk today but I'm not gonna hurt her. I'm not Klaus. I don't kill and torture my own friends to get what I want. Now, we broke the sire bond, but if you want to be free we have to work together. No one can step out of line. Now, you're either with me or against me. Submit. Submit or die."

" I'm…I'm sorry." Kim apologized and Tyler took his hand out of her chest

Kim fell to her knees as she caught her breath. Tyler looked around at the rest of the hybrids and, one by one, they all kneeled down in front of him.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

" So, you're leaving me again?" Charlotte asked Damon as the two sat at a table in a bar

"No, I need to get on with my life and so do you." Damon told her

" I don't want to live without you." Charlotte said

" If you want to make me happy you will. You'll just forget about me. You'll never think of me again, and you'll find someone new, and you'll be happier than ever." Damon stopped when he noticed that Charlotte was crying, " Please stop crying."

" I'm never gonna be able to forget about you." Charlotte said as she wiped away her tears and stopped crying

" Yes, you are. And I'm never gonna be happy until you realize that you're never gonna have the life that you deserve if I'm in it." Damon said, getting up from his seat, " Goodbye Charlotte."

Damon didn't look back as he walked out of the bar and out to his brother.

" How'd it go?" Stefan asked

" I set her free." Damon told him

" Must have been hard. Doing the right thing, especially when it's not something you want to do." Stefan said as the two walked down the street

"Get to the point, Stefan." Damon said, "You don't think I'm gonna be able to do what I need to when I have to tell Audrey to stay away from me."

" Well, I mean, selflessness isn't exactly one of your most obvious character traits, Damon." Stefan said

" Yeah? Well, one of these days you're gonna realize you don't know me half as well as you think." Damon told Stefan before whistling for a cab

_**New Orleans-1942**_

Damon stepped out of a cab in front of a train station dressed in full uniform for the war. He walked into the train station and set down his luggage on a cart full of luggage.

" Damon." Lexi called out, getting the attention of the older Salvatore, " I know what you did and you are not going overseas with Stefan. Do you understand me?"

"Well, Uncle Sam begs to differ." Damon said

" You just killed twelve people." Lexi said angrily

"How do you know they didn't have it coming?" Damon asked, waking up to her

" Your brother had spent the last twenty years racked with guilt, fighting the temptation to drink human blood." Lexi told him instead of answering his question, " He's serving in the war as penance for the pain that he has caused. If he finds out what you did, he'll want to know how it is you function without guilt for the things you do. He'll turn to you for guidance like he did before and he'll become the Ripper of Monterrey all over again."

" I've pretty much been on my own since our little falling out in 1912." Damon told her, "Did you ever think that I just need my little brother?"

" And that's why you can't go." Lexi said, " It might be good for you, Damon, but it will destroy Stefan. For once, you need to put someone else in front of yourself." Lexi looked past Damon and Damon followed her gaze to see Stefan down by the tracks, " You need to let him go."

Damon continued to look at his brother as he grabbed his luggage back off of the cart.

" Good luck, brother." Damon said sadly before walking out of the train station.

_**New Orleans-Present**_

A taxi pulled up a few feet in front of Damon and Stefan and the both started waking towards it.

" You never told me that." Stefan said

"Yeah, well, next time I'll hang a billboard." Damon rolled his eyes as he continued to walk

" Look, I know it may seem like I'm being unfair about this, but after all of this is over wouldn't you rather know that she's with you now because it was her choice?"

"The dreaded C-word." Damon said as he opened the door to the taxi, " I know what I have to do Stefan."

Then Damon got into the taxi with Stefan right behind him.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

When I got back to the boarding house the sun was already starting to rise and as I was heading back into the parlor, Caroline walked in and, without a word, she started hugging me.

" I'm so sorry." Caroline said

I was going to hug her back but she had my hands pinned down so tight that I couldn't.

"Okay, if you don't start hugging me back this is going to gonna get really awkward really fast." Caroline told me

" You've got my hands pinned down." I said

" Oh." Caroline said as she let go of me for a moment before hugging me again in a way so I could hug her back, " I'm a jerk. I promise to never again judge ever."

" Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it." I laughed as we pulled apart

" You guys friends again?" Elena asked as she, Aurora, and Bonnie walked in, "Thank God."

"Well, she saved my life." Caroline said, " In spite of me being a nasty bad witch."

"Thankfully we had out good witch." Aurora smiled

" Yeah." I said to Bonnie, " You know, your hottie creepy Professor really knows his stuff, Bonnie."

" It's been baby steps but he's helping me with a whole new kind of magic." Bonnie told us, " He call's it expression."

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Shane walked into his office to see that Hayley was there as well.

"You ever hear of a text message?" Shane asked her, " Maybe just a heads up?"

"Adrian finished breaking the sire bond." Hayley told him, " You have twelve hybrids. Now, where are my parents?"

"They're dead." Shane told her

"You lied to me?"

" No, I didn't lie to you. I said I'd tell you where to find them." Shane said as he took out the flash drive and handed to her, " This is everything you ever wanted to know, including where they are buried."

" You just picked a fight with a werewolf." Hayley told him angrily, "You know that right?"

" Easy killer, I'm not declaring war hear." Shane said, "Now, just cause they're dead, doesn't mean that you can't see them again."

" What?" Hayley asked him in confusion

" This is far from over, Hayley." Shane told her, " We are the beginning."

* * *

Caroline and Stefan were back at the Forbes house and they were, once again, talking about Damon and Audrey.

" You feel sorry for him?" Caroline asked Stefan in disbelief

"Look, there's no other way to break a vampire sire bond." Stefan told her, " As much as you and I both hate it, Damon does love Audrey. Now he has to completely let her go. Ever imagine having to do that?"

" I'm sorry I told her." Caroline said, " Okay, I kind of didn't have a choice. All I know is he better do what he's supposed to do."

" He'll do it." Stefan said as he took a seat on the couch, " He's not as bad as he wants you to think. He'll do what he needs to do, he told me he would."

" How can you trust him?" Caroline asked

" Because I can see how much he loves her." Stefan told her, "He can't be selfish with her. Not anymore."

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I was cleaning up the rest of the alcohol bottles from the parlor when I heard Damon walk into the room.

" Hey." I greeted without turning to look at him

" Hey back." Damon said

" How was your night?" I asked him as I turned around

" Awful. Yours?"

" Same." I sighed

" Audrey, we need to talk." Damon said, walking up to me

" I know that I'm sired to you, Damon." I told him and he looked at me in surprise, "Caroline told me. That's what you and Stefan were doing, isn't it? Is there a way to break it."

"Not exactly." he said, " Which is why we need to talk."

" Tyler told me that the bond doesn't affect how I feel, just the way I act." I said, "My feelings for you haven't changed, Damon. Nothing has changed."

"Everything has changed, Audrey." Damon told me

"Okay, maybe I've changed a little but you've changed too, Damon." I told him, " And I'm happy. Just like you were yesterday morning before we knew anything about any of this."

" You know what would make me happy?" Damon asked, "To know that this entire time that I've been completely in love with you; that you actually felt for me; was real."

" It is real, Damon. I've felt this way about you way longer than I have been a vampire." I said walking up to him so we were less than a foot apart, "Damon, I know what you're about to do. Please don't do this to me."

" I don't want to do this, Audrey." Damon told me, " I'm not the good guy, remember? I'm the selfish one. I take what I want. I do what I want, I lie to my brother and I fall in love with a girl that doesn't deserve someone like me. I don't do the right thing. But I have to do the right thing by you."

I took hold of Damon's hand and moved it so it was on my chest where my heart was.

"Does this feel wrong?" I asked him, then I moved my hand to Damon's cheek, " Does this feel wrong

Damon and I didn't say another word as we continued to look at each other.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Well, hope the chapter was long enough for you. Please make sure to review on the way out, they mean a lot to me. Also if you know of any songs that remind you of the relationship between Audrey and Damon please tell me the title and artist so I can hear them, I'm trying to make a playlist for them and he only song I have so far is Wanted by Hunter Hayes. So send them in by review or PM. Again, please review and tell me what you thought about the chapter. Until next time…**

**Audrey;D**


	9. O Come All Ye Faithful

_Author's Note_

_I am SO SORRY that I haven't updated in forever but school has been the death of me and I was just so busy. I promise not to go on anymore unexplained hiatuses but I will most likely be updating less frequently until the end of the school year. This means a chapter every other week at least. Once again, I'm sorry and I appreciate all of you that stuck around during my absence and hope you will continue to like the story._

_Audrey;D_

**Chapter Nine-O Come All Ye Faithful**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I woke up and rolled over in bed to face Damon who was still fast asleep. As I looked at him I thought back to last night when Damon had come back from New Orleans. We both now knew that I was sired to him and that there was no way to break the sire bond. The only thing that he could do was 'set me free' by telling me to leave and never think of him again. After a long talk, I convinced him to at least wait a day before he did anything extreme.

"This would be so much more fun if we were naked." Damon groaned, pulling me out of my thoughts

" Yes it would." I agreed, " But that was your call, not mine."

" I was being a gentleman." Damon said as he opened his eyes and rolled over onto his back, " You shouldn't have stayed. I should have made you leave. Sent you packing."

"That's a matter of opinion." I told Damon as he got out of bed and walked over to his dresser

"You're sired to me, Audrey." Damon said as he took off his shirt and grabbed a clean one out of his drawer to put on, " Which means everything you feel for me right now might not even be real."

"It's real, Damon." I said confidently as I got off the bed and walked up to him, " And I'm not gonna let go of what we have because Stefan and Caroline have gotten into your head."

" Well, I can make you." Damon said, " Invoke the sire bond."

" So do it." I challenged, taking another step towards Damon, " But I'm sure that's not what you want to do, is it?"

Damon took a step towards me, leaving hardly any space between us, before responding.

"No, it isn't. I wanna throw you back in my bed and never let you leave."

" So do it." I repeated seriously

It looked as if Damon was about to do just that when my cell phone chimed from its spot on the beside table, signaling a new text.

"Saved by the cell phone." Damon joked, causing me to roll my eyes as I walked over to get my phone.

I looked at the screen to see that Bonnie had texted me to see where I was since I was supposed to be helping her with Jeremy at the lake house.

" I have to meet Bonnie." I told Damon as I headed over to my bag to get a change of clothes, " She's teaching Jeremy how not to kill me. Wanna come?"

* * *

About an hour or so later, Damon and I pulled up into the driveway of the lake house to see Jeremy chopping wood with an axe. When he heard us he lowered the axe down to his side and stared at us.

"Jeremy!" I heard Bonnie call as she came out of the house and joined Jeremy

" They shouldn't be here." Jeremy told her as he continued to stare Damon and I down

"They're here to help you." Bonnie tried to convince him. When she realized that Jeremy wasn't going to budge, Bonnie wrapped her hands around the axe that Jeremy was still holding on to, " Do you trust me?"

Jeremy looked at us for another moment before letting go of the axe, allowing Bonnie to take it from him and throw it to the side.

" Yeah, I trust you." Jeremy replied reluctantly

" Let's go inside." Bonnie said as the two turned around and headed towards the lake house.

As Bonnie and Jeremy continued up to the lake house, I saw Professor Shane walk out to meet them.

" What the hell is Professor Shadypants doing here?" Damon asked, turning to face me

"Bonnie must have invited him." I replied, keeping my eyes on Shane, " She sure as hell didn't tell me he was going to be here."

" Well, this should be interesting." Damon said as he parked the car

* * *

" Okay, listen, we are ready to get started, but before we can do that, we need her…" I heard Shane say to Jeremy as Damon and I made our way to the entrance of the lake house, " in here."

" This is your house now, Jer." I said as I walked up to the invisible barrier that was keeping me outside, "Since I'm stuck out here, you're gonna have to invite me in."

Jeremy stood in front of me and continued to stare at me like he had a few minutes before, but he didn't make a move to invite me in.

"Go ahead, Jeremy." Shane urged Jeremy from his spot near Bonnie, " Invite her in."

" You can come in." Jeremy caved after another minute

I hesitantly walked past the barrier and into the house. When I realized that I free to enter, I walked more confidently, patting Jeremy on the shoulder as I walked past him. I was about to set down my bad when I heard Bonnie scream "Jeremy!". I turned back around in time to grab the wooden stake Jeremy had been about to stake me in the back with and throw it on the ground before grabbing Jeremy around the neck in a chokehold. I sighed as Jeremy struggled against my grip to get free.

* * *

After Jeremy had calmed down and invited Damon inside as well; he, Bonnie, Shane, and I moved into the living room while Damon headed outside to call Stefan. I sat on the couch next to Bonnie as Jeremy sat across from me in one of the kitchen chairs. Shane walked around the room, lighting candles and starting a metronome, before moving to stand behind Jeremy, who was now under some sort of trance.

" All Jeremy feels when he sees a vampire is a burning desire to kill them, even if consciously he doesn't want to." Shane explained to me, "And in your case it's his subconscious that's calling the shots."

" Persuasion helps reverse your subconscious thoughts." Bonnie added

" Think of it as a kind of conditioned response." Shane continued, " See vampire, kill vampire. What I'm doing is creating a kind of middle step. It's like a detour, where his subconscious learns to recognize you as someone he loves, someone he wants to protect. And that gives him a choice. He can choose to take the detour instead of the conditioned response." When Shane was done with his explanation, he moved to sit on the small table that was next to Jeremy, " Okay, talk to him, he'll listen."

" I'm not exactly sure what I should say." I admitted

" You chose to do this here at the lake house." Shane said, " So, why not start by telling him why."

" Um, okay. Well, I remember that every Christmas our families would come up here, even after my parents and I moved away we would make sure we were here by Christmas eve. This place was family. Elena told me how Jenna brought you guys up here after Miranda and Grayson died and how terrible of an idea you two thought it was, but when you guys got here it was like they were here too. And then, you and Elena did the same for me after my mom and dad were gone and I knew exactly what you meant." I stopped for a moment when Jeremy's eyes snapped open but I quickly continued, "They all would have wanted us to stick together. You, me, and Elena. Because we're family. We have to fight for each other, no matter what."

"Jeremy, how do you feel about Audrey right now?" Shane asked Jer when I was finished

"She ruined our lives." Jeremy snapped as he glared at me, " She's not even my real cousin. She's just the reason that everyone that Elena and I have ever loved has died. She means nothing to me. I will kill her even if that means I die myself."

Shane jumped out of his spot as Jeremy continued and quickly stopped the metronome, breaking Jeremy out of his trance. Jeremy looked around, seeming confused to see the pained look on my face along with the look of disappointment on Bonnie's.

"Did it work?" Jeremy asked us

" Nope, not yet." I said, putting on a half-hearted smile and getting up from my spot an the couch and heading out the back door to the dock.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Everyone had gone their separate ways after Shane's failed attempt to remove Jeremy's murderous feeling toward Audrey, leaving Jeremy in the living room by himself. He had moved to the couch and started to look at old family pictures he had found. As he was looking through the pictures he came across one of him, Elena, and Audrey as the three of them stood on the dock. Jeremy could still remember when his mom had taken the picture nearly five years before as the three of them had tried, and miserably failed, fishing and he could help but smile at the memory.

" You okay?" Bonnie asked as she came into the room, "Shane wants to try again."

Jeremy set down the pictures and stood up to face Bonnie but before he could reply Damon walked into the room.

"Survey says: Ehhh!" Damon said, mimicking the buzzer from family feud, "Professor Shane has been dipping into the magical herbs a little too much if he thinks using a vampire to suppress the need to kill another one is gonna work on a hunter. It's like dangling a cheeseburger in front of someone on a master cleanse. Just find someone else to attach your warm and fuzzy detour feelings to." Damon looked over at Bonnie hoping that Jeremy got the hint that he should use his feelings for Bonnie as his detour feelings. When neither Bonnie or Jeremy said anything, Damon added, " Gee, I wonder who that could be."

" You." Jeremy said as he looked at Bonnie, " I feel that way about you."

Bonnie looked at him in shock for a moment before allowing a small smile to form on her lips. When Jeremy saw Bonnie smile he smile back.

"Well, this isn't awkward at all." Damon said, ruining the sweet moment between the former couple, " I'll be anywhere else."

Jeremy and Bonnie continued to smile at each other as Damon walked out of the room.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

As I stood at the end of the dock, looking at the lake in front of me, I thought about what Jeremy had said. I tried not to take any of it to heart, to convince myself that it was the hunter in him that had said it and that Jeremy didn't actually think of me that way but the more I thought about it the more I realized that he did. He may not admit it, but deep down that's how he felt about me. I was suddenly pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of someone walking up behind me.

"It was good thinking, using Bonnie as Jeremy's emotional touch zone." Shane said as he moved to stand next to me, " Damon is very intuitive."

" Yeah, I guess he is." I replied, not bothering to face him

Shane and I stood there in silence for a few moments before he decided to spark up a conversation.

"Bonnie has told me a lot about you." Shane stated vaguely, catching my attention

"That so?" I said, turning to look at him, "Like what?"

"Like your psychic abilities." Shane answered, "I have to say, I've done a lot of research about psychics but I have never actually come across one. They are apparently very rare."

"Have you come across anything interesting in your research?" I asked him, not knowing if I should take anything the shady professor had to say seriously but still hoping to get some information about this ability I was stuck with.

"Not much, but it seems as if some psychics can start to acquire other skills along with the typical visions all psychics possess." Shane told me nonchalantly

"Anything specific?" I asked coolly, although I was actually very curious

" I'm sorry, but no." Shane said, " Like I said, psychics are very rare so there is a lot less lore than that of vampires, werewolves, and witches."

" Yeah, I've noticed." I said before we both lapsed into silence again

"If your hypno herbs work, we should be singing Kumbaya around the fire by dinner." Damon said, breaking the silence as he wlaked towards the end of the dock where Shane and I were standing.I looked down to see that Damon was holding the same axe Jeremy had been holding earlier in his had, "So now, tell me why I'm not killing you?"

"Damon, come on." I said, rolling my eyes, " Can't we go one day without you threatening to kill someone."

"I'm serious." Damon continued, ignoring my comment, " Why are you after the cure."

" I didn't say I was looking for the cure, but I can tell you where to find it." Shane said, walking up to Damon

"Klaus's sword will tell us where to find it." Damon countered

"The sword will lead you there, sure, but so can I." Shane told him

" What? How?" I asked, making my way back into the conversation

"Cause I've already been there." Shane said as he continued to look at Damon

" Well, I would say that keeps him on the no kill list for another day." I said to Damon as I looked at him in shock

* * *

Shane brought Damon and I back into the house so he could explain more about the cure. He ran out to grab something from his car and quickly came back in and set something down on the table. He carefully unwrapped the cloth around what seemed to be a rather large rock.

" It's a rock." Damon stated the obvious while I took a seat on the couch, waiting for Shane's explanation

"It's not just any rock." Shane disagreed

" Hm, so is this that silly little wives tale that you told at the occult exhibit?" Damon asked as he walked around the couch to the little bar area that was set up and poured two glasses of bourbon, handing one to me before talking a sip of his own

" Right." Shane began after watching our exchange, "Long story short. Once upon a time, there was a witch named Silas who loved a girl, who wanted to be with her forever, so he and his best friend, another witch, made an immortality spell and then Silas' best friend witch got jealous and killed Silas' girl before he had a chance to make her immortal. Well, cursed to an eternity without his one true love, Silas finds a way to reverse the immortality spell and then before he had the chance to take it, his former friend buried him underground, leaving him and the cure to rot."

"So, it's a cure for immortality?" I asked, taking a drink from my glass

"Human blood is the life force of an immortal." Shane replied, " No more immortality, no more need to feed on blood, you dig up Silas and you've got your cure."

Then Shane moved the rock aside and pulled out the picture Jeremy had drawn of the Hunter's mark from his pocket and set it on the table so I could see it.

"This is the mark of the Brotherhood of the Five." Shane said as he pointed to a symbol that looked to be on the back of someone's hand, then moving up the arm to another part of the mark, "And up the arm, you have the murder of a girl by a witch. The symbols in the vines are your map which, obviously, you no longer need. When the mark is complete, it will contain the spell that we need to dig up Silas."

" And where'd you say he was buried?" Damon asked as he took a seat next to me on the arm of the couch, "Oh, I forgot, you didn't."

"You've threatened to kill me, what, like three times already this week." Shane said, earning a nod from Damon in return, "The location is how I'm gonna survive your bad moods."

"And what's in it for you?" I asked, leaning forward towards Shane, "If not the cure, then what?"

"I'm in this for Silas, alright, up until this point he's only been myth." Shane answered, clearly excited by the thought of descovering Silas

"So write a thesis." Damon suggested

" Would you rather be the guy who writes about Noah's ark or the one who sails it down the Hudson River?" Shane said as he folded the picture up and handed back to Damon

" I'm not buying it." Damon told me as he put the drawing into his jacket pocket

" You don't have to buy anything." Shane said to Damon before turning to me, " You just have to believe that I can fix Jeremy. And when his Hunter's mark is complete. I'm gonna take you to the cure."

* * *

After Shane had left the room to find Bonnie and Jeremy, I headed over to the closet on the other side of the room and pulled out a box of old holiday decorations before moving to place it on one of the tables.

"Jer and I should probably bring this back bring this back home to Elena and Aurora." I said as I looked at a few things in the box, "Wecould all use the holiday cheer."

" Look at you, suddenly optimistic." Damon smirked at me

" I think Shane is gonna get us through though this." I said, looking up to see Damon roll his eyes and scoff, "Calm down, I didn't say I trusted the guy. I mean, I'm not gonna trust someone that blew up twelve people. But he is the only one that knows about that Five and is willing to help us." I stopped for a moment when I could sense someone listening in to our conversation from right outside of the door, "And Professor, I would prefer if you left the lurking to the professionals, they're much better at it than you are."

"I see you've convinced Audrey that I blew up those people, even though I didn't." Shane said to Damon

"He didn't convince me of anything, Professor." I told Shane, " I saw the impressive amount of times you called Pastor Young the day he blew himself an eleven other people up and put two and two together."

"The Pastor was severely depressed." Shane began to explain, " He had lost his wife to cancer and he sought me out for a little supernatural assistance. I tried to help but he was too far gone. I just-I never thought that he would take eleven innocents with him."

I didn't have time to respond to Shane before Jeremy and Bonnie walked into the room.

"Audrey." Jeremy said and I looked at him to see a wooden stake in his hand. When Damon saw the stake, he got up from the couch and moved between me and Jeremy, " It's okay." Jeremy told Damon, " I think we've got this."

"Audrey, don't move, okay?" Bonnie told me as she made her way over to me

"Jeremy, remember the detour." Shane reminded him, "Choose the right path."

Jeremy nodded before trying to walk towards me but he was immediately stopped by Damon. Neither of them said a word but after a few seconds, Jeremy handed the stake to Damon. Damon looked at me in shock and let Jeremy move past him. I watched Jeremy closely to make sure he didn't pull out a stake from god knows where and try to kill me. I calmed down slightly when Jeremy was standing right in front of me and wrapped his arm around me. When I was positive that he wasn't going to kill me, I wrapped my arms around him and closed my eyes as I hugged him back.

* * *

Jeremy, Bonnie, and I sat on the ground of the living room as we went through the box of holiday decorations i had grabbed from the closet.

" Hey, check this out." Jeremy smiled as he pulled out a mistletoe

" Oh my God, Jenna used that to make out with Logan Fell." I said with a laugh

I could vaguely hear the conversation that continued between Bonnie and Jeremy about mistletoe as I looked up at Damon who was sitting out on the porch by himself. I waved in an attempt to get him to come inside but he just smiled and looking away. I looked back down and grabbed another piece of mistletoe before getting up and heading outside.

"All the drama and you're missing the actual fun part." I said as I walked up to him

When he didn't respond, I held the mistletoe over our heads with a smile.

"Audrey, we can't." Damon said, " I can't."

"Damon, you can't keep telling me that this isn't real." I told him, putting down the mistletoe, "I know how I feel and that you feel it too, so stop fighting it."

"It's good to see you like that, all normal with Jeremy." Damon changed the subject while looking into the house, " I want that again for you." Damon stood up before he continued, "Christmas was always mine and Stefan's favorite holiday when we were kids. Not that I've celebrated it since. I kind of miss that."

" And we're back to Stefan again." I started angrily, " I don't see what we're doing that is negatively affecting Stefan in any way."

"This isn't about Stefan." Damon told me

" The hell it isn't." I snapped, "Stefan has convinced you that what we have isn't real and the worst part is that you're just going along with it. As if everything we've been though hasn't happened!"

" Audrey, calm down." Damon said which kind of just pissed me off more, "I'm not doing this because of Stefan, I'm doing this because I'm supposed to do the right thing by you. I was supposed to invoke the sire bond, Audrey, send you away. Which is what I'm gonna do right now." My eyes widened when I realized what Damon was doing, "You're gonna go home."

"What?" I asked, "No, Damon."

"I'm gonna stay here with Jeremy." Damon continued, "I'm gonna help him complete the mark. I'll teach him how to hunt, I'll protect him, and we'll kill vampires without you."

"Damon, please." I begged but Damon didn't stop

"I'm setting you free, Audrey." Damon said, "This is what I want. This is what will make me happy."

* * *

Damon led me out the front of the house out to Bonnie's car and neither of us said a word to each other. I watched as Jeremy hugged Bonnie goodbye and I waved at him as he headed back inside the lake house.

" I was ready to fight you on this." I said as I turned to face Damon, " But suddenly every part of my body is telling me that I need to get in this car and leave you."

" So do it." Damon told me, using my words own words against me

We looked at each other for a moment before I decided to press my lips against Damon's in a quick kiss. I pulled back slowly and noticed that his face hadn't changed at all. I didn't say another word as I got into the passenger seat of Bonnie's car.

* * *

On the ride back to Mystic Falls, Bonnie and I hardly said anything to each other since I wasn't really in the mood to talk. Bonnie pulled up into the driveway of the boarding house, where I had asked her to drop me off so I could get my car, and I jumped out of the car. I walked over to my car as I heard Bonnie drive away and I was about to pull my keys out of my bag when I was suddenly pulled into a vision.

_Carol Lockwood stumbled across the town square as she was talking over the phone._

" _Tyler, honey, you're supposed to be my sober cab." Carol said, " I think I drank half the party."_

_Carol hung up her phone and put it into her purse as she took a seat on the edge of the fountain in the middle of town square. Carol took another sip of her champagne before setting it down and fixing her shawl. She heard someone walking up to her and looked up to see Klaus who was covered in blood and holding a rather large bottle of alcohol._

"_Good evening, Carol." Klaus greeted, slightly drunk, "You're looking for Tyler. I'd like to have a word with him myself._

"_Klaus, please, don't hurt him." Carol pleaded, " He's my son. He's all I have."_

"_And you're all he has." Klaus added, "There's a beautiful symmetry to that, don't you think?"_

_Carol looked up at him in confusion for a moment before Klaus grabbed her by the neck and forced her head into the fountain. Klaus continued to hold her head under the water as Carol struggled to get free and fill her lungs with air. After a minute or so, Carol stopped struggling and her body went limp. When Klaus was sure that Carol was dead, he let go of her and walked away._

" Oh my God." I said as I snapped back into reality

I quickly grabbed my keys out of my bag and got into my car. I started the car and barreled down the road in hopes of getting to the mayor before Klaus did. I made it into town in record time before I jumped out of my car and ran into town. When I got to the fountain, my blood ran cold. Klaus was no where in sight but Carol was already in the fountain.

"Damn it, damn it, damn it." I said to myself as I pulled Carol out of the water

I checked her pulse but there was one, not that I expected there to be after what I had seen. I pulled my phone out of my pocket and called nine-one-one and told them some half truth about how I found the mayor unconscious in the fountain and they told me that they would be there as soon as possible. As I waited for the ambulance, I couldn't help but think about what'll happen to Tyler.

_**Review, review, review**_


	10. After School Special

**Reason this chapter wasn't added earlier:**

Me: Yay! I have time to write fanfiction.

My English teacher: Ha ha, no. You have time to write two week long essays.

Me: -_-

_**Disclaimer: I only own what you don't recognize. If I did I would be to busy rolling around in all my money to write fanfiction.**_

**Chapter Ten- After School Special**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

It had been two days since Carol had been killed and I was still working up the courage to tell Tyler that his mom death hadn't been an accident. I knew that I should have told him right away but I also knew that as soon as I did he would most likely go after Klaus, which was a death sentence. I was laying in bed at my house, since Jeremy was at the lake house it was safe for me and Aurora to come back, as I thought this over when someone knocked on the door. I moved my comforter aside and got out of bed before walking over the door and opening it. Standing in front of me was a fully dressed Aurora while I was still in my pajamas.

"What up?" I asked her

"Well, I was gonna ask if you wanted a ride to Carol's memorial, but I see you overslept." Aurora said

" Yeah, I guess I lost track of time." I said, looking at my clock and then back to her

" Do you want me to wait for you?" Aurora asked me

" No, you go ahead." I told her, "I'll catch up with you later."

"Okay, I'll see you there." Aurora said before heading downstairs

I shut the door to my room before heading over to my closet to grab something to change into. Even though I had told Aurora that I was going to the memorial, I had actually decided yesterday that there was no way I was gonna go. It just didn't feel right. I had known Carol my entire life and she had always been a happy person, slightly alcoholic but still a happy person, and I doubted that see would want everyone to be so upset because she was gone. After I had taken a shower and changed into a pair of black skinny jeans, a light blue tee shirt, my black combat boots, and my black leather jacket; I headed downstairs and into the kitchen. I grabbed a blood bag out of the fridge and ripped it open but, before I could take a sip, my phone started ringing. I looked down at the caller I.D. and rolled my eyes when I realized that it was Caroline. I had been avoiding her and Stefan since I got back but apparently she hadn't gotten the hint since she had been calling me constantly. I hit ignore and put my phone back in my jacket pocket before downing my blood bag. After I got rid of the empty blood bag, I went to Alaric's liquor cabinet and grabbed a bottle of bourbon. I thought about drinking and kicking my problems to the side but I realized that I would have to face them eventually. I set the bottle down before heading out of the house and getting into my car.

* * *

I pulled up into the Lockwood driveway about fifteen minutes later and I had expected that I would have to wait a while longer for Tyler to get back from the memorial but his car was already in the driveway. I turned off my car and got out before heading up to the mansion. When I got to the door I rang the doorbell and Tyler opened it within seconds.

"Uh, hey Audrey." Tyler greeted awkwardly, "What are you doing here?"

"We have to talk." I told him

"Look, I'm not really in the mood to talk." Tyler said, " Do you think it can wait?"

"No." I said firmly, "It's important."

Tyler thought over it for a moment before opening the door all the way, allowing me to walk in past him. I walked into the living room and I heard the door shut before Tyler followed me. I saw a half full glass of alcohol on the side table and knew that Tyler had been thinking the same thing I had. I walked over to the other side of the couch where a few bottles of alcohol were sitting along with a couple extra glasses.

" Do you mind?" I asked Tyler, picking up one of the empty glasses

" Go ahead." Tyler said as he picked up his glass and sat down on the couch

I filled the glass and took and downed the entire glass before I started pacing back and fourth in front of Tyler.

"Okay." I begun as I continued to pace, "First off, I was the one that found your mom in the fountain."

" What?" Tyler said in confusion, " I thought you were at the lake house?"

" No, I had just gotten back, but that's not the point." I told him as I stopped pacing and faced Tyler, "When I got back, I got this vision of your mom drown and I tried to save her but I was too late. I thought I could save her but I couldn't."

"It's okay, Audrey. At least you tried." Tyler said as I took a seat next to him on the couch

"That's not all." I continued, "But before I tell you anything else you have to promise me that, no matter what, you will not doing anything stupid, okay."

"Why?"

" Tyler, please, just promise me that you will not do anything crazy because of what I am going to tell you." I said seriously

" Fine, I promise." Tyler said cautiously, "Now, what is it?"

"What happened to your mom wasn't an accident." I told him, "It was Klaus. He killed her to get back at you for what happened with the hybrids."

Tyler was silent for a moment as he let this soak in before he suddenly snapped and threw his glass into the fire place.

"That son of a bitch is dead." Tyler snarled before attempting to leave but before he could make it there I sped in front of him to stop him.

"Woah, woah, woah. What did I just say?" I questioned as I continued to block his path, "You can not go after Klaus right now."

" Why the hell not?" Tyler asked, "He killed my mom."

"You don't think I know that, Tyler? I saw it happen." I barked at him, "But you are too emotional right now and he will kill you before you could blink. And even if ,by some miracle, you did kill Klaus, you would just be killing yourself along with every other vampire in Mystic Falls" Tyler calmed down slightly as I continued, "We'll find someway to get back at him but you need to be patient."

"Fine, but when you do go after this douche, I want in." Tyler said angrily

"You got it." I agreed as my phone started ringing

I pulled it out of my pocket and saw that it was Caroline again. Seriously, this girl does not stop. I hit ignore and before I could even put my phone away, Tyler's started to ring.

"If it's Caroline, you haven't seen me." I told him as he turned to grab his phone

"What is going on with you two?" Tyler asked as he looked down at the caller I.D

"Nothing important." I lied, moving to lean against the wall as he answered his phone

"I told you, I don't want to talk." Tyler said, repeating what he had told me earlier

"_I heard that you're keeping all that rage bottled up inside." _I heard Rebekah's grating voice reply and my blood ran cold as I moved away from the wall and closer to Tyler, _"Caroline's worried sick about you."_

"Rebekah?" Tyler asked

"_Hello, Tyler." _Rebekah greeted him,_ "I heard my brother made a real mess of your life. Believe me, I can relate. You have my condolences. In fact, why don't you come down to the High School so you can accept them in person?"_

"And why would I do that?" Tyler questioned the Original

" _Because I have your girlfriend."_ Rebekah told him and we shared a look of worry, _"Maybe, you have a better shot saving her than you did your mother. Bye now."_

Rebekah hung up on him and Tyler looked down at his phone for another second before throwing it at the wall, causing me to jump slightly as it shattered.

* * *

"You do know that this is most likely a trap of some kind, right?" I said offhandedly to Tyler as we drove to the school in my car

"Yeah, but what other choice do we have?" Tyler asked, "We can't just leave Caroline with Rebekah."

"I know." I told him as we pulled into the school parking lot

The lot was mostly empty except for Aurora's and Caroline's cars along with Stefan's motorcycle.

"Well, we can add Aurora and Stefan to the list of people to save today." I said as we got out of the car. I looked up at the building for a minute before continuing, "You take the first floor, I'll take the second floor."

Tyler nodded and we both ran into the school.

* * *

I looked around the second floor of the school as quietly as possible but after a few minutes I had checked every room and no one was around. I sighed before heading back down to the first floor to meet up with Tyler. Before I could even make it down the main hallway I was slammed into a row of lockers.

"Hello, darling." an annoyingly familiar voice greeted me

"Kol." I said as I looked up at the second most annoying Original, "What brings you back to Mystic falls?"

"Well, Rebekah called me saying that she need help finding the cure for vampirism." Kol told me, "And what kind of brother would I be if I didn't help her out?"

"If there is one think I know about you Originals, it's that you guys always have an ulterior motive." I said with a smirk, "So what's yours?"

"I think we're done here." Kol replied, refusing to answer my question

Suddenly Kol grabbed me by the shoulders and blurred down the hallway. He stopped in front of the library before throwing me through the closed doors, causing me to land on my back in the middle of the room.

"Look who I found wandering around the school, Bekah." Kol said, walking into the room

"Ow." I groaned, getting to my feet

I looked around the library and saw Aurora, Caroline, and Stefan sitting at a table in the middle of the room as well as Tyler standing a few feet to the side of me.

"Fantastic." Rebekah said from in front of me, "You showed up just in time for the fun."

"Oh, I can't wait." I said sarcastically, crossing my arms , "But first, who do I have to kill for bringing you back?"

"She's a feisty one." Kol said from his spot near the door

"Kol, go deal with Shane." Rebekah ordered and Kol immediately left, then Rebekah focused her attention back on me, "Could your attitude have anything to do with Damon?"

I blurred up to the Original until our faces were only a few inches apart.

"Shut up or I will rip out your vocal cords." I warned her venomously but she just smiled back

"That's what I thought." Rebekah said as she started walking around the room, "See, I've been spending the last hour learning about everything that has happened since I've been gone. Like that you and Damon are going through a rough patch. Stefan and Elena are on the outs. The mayor is dead. And that the cure still hasn't been found despite you guys having a hunter and a sword."

"What the hell is the point of this?" Tyler snapped at Rebekah

"Be patient, Tyler. I'll get to you in a minute." Rebekah compelled Tyler and he stood where he was silently, than she turned back to me, "Audrey, why don't you go sit with everyone else." Rebekah compelled me and I reluctantly did so, "Good, listen to the rules carefully. Stay in the building, no vamp running in the hallways."

"Vamp running from what?" Aurora queried but Rebekah didn't answer, instead she turned to face Tyler

"Turn." She ordered him

"What?" Caroline said, "He can't, he'll lose control."

"I think that's the point." I said, earning a glare from Caroline who I just rolled my eyes at

"Exactly, Audrey." Rebekah said to me before addressing everyone, "I've exhausted all your knowledge. Now I have the professor to help me find the cure. You're just competition. Whoever finds it first gets to decide what to do with it. Share it, destroy it, save it. I want that to be me."

"But if I turn, I'll kill them." Tyler stated

"Yes, you will." Rebekah smirked, locking eyes with him once more, "Turn."

* * *

Rebekah had left shortly after she had compelled Tyler to turn, leaving us to deal with him. Caroline, Aurora, Stefan, and I had moved closer to the door as Tyler had started to turn.

"I can fight this." Tyler choked out before falling to the ground

The sound of his bones breaking told me a different story. Tyler held onto a table as he tried to get to his feet but it didn't seem to be working since he fell back to the ground and the sound of more bones breaking could be heard by everyone.

"Go, go, go!" Stefan told us and we ran out of the library, Stefan stopping to shut the doors behind us

"That doors not gonna hold him." Aurora said as we ran down the hallway

I looked over my shoulder and sure enough the door burst open and Tyler started running after Stefan, Aurora, and I. Caroline was gone so she must have broken off and gone in another direction. We continued running until we passed through the double doors at the end of the hallway and we slammed them shut just before Tyler started ramming into them. Stefan grabbed the fire axe from its spot on the wall and put it into the door handles in an attempt to hold the door closed but it snapped in half as soon as Tyler hit the door again. While Stefan and Aurora held the door shut, I ran over to the row of lockers next to us and ripped the door of one of them off and did the same thing Stefan had with the axe. This time though it seemed to work because after a few more seconds the banging stopped and I couldn't hear Tyler on the other side of the door. I sighed in relief because, even though we were compelled to stay in the school, we were safe for now.

* * *

As Stefan, Aurora, and I walked through the school, being careful to stay away from Tyler, we heard Bonnie call for help a couple of class rooms away from us. We ran in and saw Bonnie holding the an unconscious April that was bleeding from her stomach.

"Bonnie, what happened?" Aurora asked

"She needs help." Bonnie said worriedly, either not hearing Aurora's question or just ignoring it completely

"Mind telling us what happened?" I asked her, heading over to April

"I did a protection spell, but it accidentally linked Shane to April." Bonnie explained as I bit into my wrist and started feeding April my blood

"And you couldn't control it?" Stefan questioned

"I didn't even know I was doing it." Bonnie defended herself, "Usually I feel pain or I bleed but this time I felt more power."

April gasped, her eyes snapping open as she came back to consciousness. I moved my arm away letting her breath as she started to heal.

"It's okay." I said to April as she started freaking out, "You're okay, April." I turned to Bonnie when April had calmed down some, "Bonnie, take April and get out of the school. Tyler's out there and he turned."

" What about you guys?" Bonnie asked as she got to her feet

"We can't leave." Aurora told her, "Rebekah compelled us."

"Just go." Stefan said, "We'll deal with her later."

Bonnie nodded before taking April out of the room. As soon as they were gone an uncomfortable silence filled the room. It was bad enough that I was stuck in the school with one of the only things in the world that would result in me dying a slow and painful death, but now I was stuck with Stefan. Today was just not my day.

" Are you guys seriously not going to say a word to each other?" Aurora snapped at Stefan and I

"That was the plan." I said which caused Aurora to glare at me

"You to are supposed to be friends." Aurora pointed out, "Can't you two just talk it out or something?"

"She's the one that's been avoiding me." Stefan said to Aurora

"Yeah, because you convinced Damon that everything I felt for him was due to the sire bond." I said angrily, taking a step toward him, "Because of you he won't even talk to me because he thinks he's 'setting me free' by avoiding me."

"It's better this way, Audrey." Stefan told me

"Who the hell gave you the right to decide what is better for me? It is my life, Stefan, I get to make my own decisions not you!" I snapped and I could hear the sound of glass shattering around me

"What the hell?" I heard Aurora say causing me to look away from Stefan

My eyes widened in shock as I realized that every beaker in the room had shattered and the ground was now covered with glass, salt, and various liquids. I looked at Aurora and she was looking back at me with the same shocked look I had. Before anyone could say anything , I could hear the should of heels clicking on the linoleum floor and I looked up to see Rebekah walk into the room.

"Why are my least favorite people always the most durable." Rebekah whined before taking in the scene in front of her, "Well, what happened here?"

When no one answered her she turned to Stefan.

"Answer please." She compelled him

" I honestly don't know." Rebekah seemed disappointed by Stefan's answer but knew that he wasn't lying since she had compelled him.

"Well, that certainly is interesting." Rebekah said, more to herself than anyone else, " Well, since I've used you for all you're worth, you're free to go."

Rebekah looked once more at the three of us and the messy room before vamp speeding away. I looked back at the broken glass covered floor for a moment and walked out of the room without saying a word to Stefan or Aurora.

* * *

When I got back to the house I was met with Elena who started shooting off questions about where I had been and why she couldn't get a hold of anyone. I told her everything that had happened which, of course, only lead to another round of questions I really didn't want to answer. When I had answered every question and convinced her that everyone, including April, was fine, I moved outside to take a seat on the porch swing. I pulled out my phone to see if Damon had called me back after I left him a few voice mails yesterday but he hadn't. I looked down at my phone for a moment before dialing his number and bringing the phone up to my ear. I wasn't expecting him to pick up so it surprised me when he answered.

"Hope your day's going better than mine." He answered the phone, "Gotta say I'm liking the odds."

"Oh, I highly doubt that." I replied, "But that's not why I called. How's Jeremy?"

"That depends on how much you trust me." Damon said

"You know that I trust you." I told him as I started swinging the swing back and forth slowly

"I think he's gonna get through this." he responded

"Thanks for looking out for him." I thanked him

Yeah, well, I told him if he was good I'd buy him ice cream, so…" Damon trailed off, "Look, I gotta go."

"Not yet." I stopped him before he could hang up on me, "Look, I know you think the sire bond is effecting my feeling for you but it's not. I'm telling you that what I feel for you now and how I've felt for you since the day we met, it's the most real thing that I have felt in my entire life. I love you, Damon, and nothing is ever going to change that."

"Look," Damon started after a moment of silence, "I'm going to get this cure for you, and I'm going to have to do thing you're not gonna like."

"Damon-" I interrupted him but he quickly cut me off

"Listen carefully." Damon told me, "Get in your car right now and come to me."

"I'll be there soon." I smiled before hanging up the phone and heading to my car

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Klaus is sitting in a bar near the Gilbert lake house, taking a sip of his drink as he looked around at the numerous bodies that filled the bar. After finding out that Jeremy had failed to kill even one vampire during the time spent with Damon, Klaus had taken it upon himself to speed up the process. This meant walking into a small town bar and turning all but one of the occupants into vampires, the last was used to give the rest blood when they woke up in transition. Klaus poured himself another drink as he heard Jeremy, Damon, and Matt walk into the bar.

"I was beginning to worry you boys wouldn't find the place." Klaus said to the trio

"What the hell?" Jeremy asked as he looked at the soon to be vampires

"Did you kill all these people?" Matt questioned Klaus

"Not exactly." Klaus smirked as he got up from his spot at the bar and made his way over to three and looking at Jeremy "They're in transition. Killing them is your job."

"You said you were going to convince Klaus to so this another way!" Jeremy snapped at Damon

"Well, I thought about it and then I realized, his idea was better." Damon told Jeremy before looking at Klaus as a few of the people started to move, waking up in transition.

**Author's Note**

**Well, granted it may be a little short but it's an update. Please review and if any one wishes to rant about the events of recent events that have occurred in The Vampire Diaries *cough* Jeremy's death, no humanity Elena* cough* feel free to PM me. Just a small warning, due to all the essays I have to write it may take me a little while to update but just remember that I will not give up on this fic so an update will come sooner or later. I hope you all understand. Anyway, review, review, review.**

**Audrey;D **


	11. Catch Me If You Can

_**Disclaimer- Since my last chapter I have not miraculously turned into the creator or producer of The Vampire Diaries, so no, I don't own it. **_

**Chapter Eleven-Catch Me If You Can**

**Third Person P.O.V**

"No way." Jeremy snapped at Klaus as he looked around at the innocent people Klaus had turned into vampires for him to kill, "I'm not doing this."

"What makes you think you have a choice." Klaus told Jeremy with a smirk

"You have to kill vampires to complete the hunter's mark." Damon reminded the young hunter as Jeremy glared at him. "Mark equals cure. You're in a bar full of almost vampires. So get your hunt on."

"Screw you." Jeremy spat as he continued to glare at Damon, " You said I wouldn't have to kill any innocent people."

"Jeremy, they're not people." Damon argued

"Enough!" Klaus said angrily, taking another step towards Jeremy, "Have at it or else."

Jeremy turned his attention back to the Original and took a step towards him so there was only a foot of space between them.

"I don't take orders from you, dick." Jeremy told him coolly before dropping the stake he had been holding since walking into the bar, "Hunter's can't be compelled."

"You're right." Klaus said with a laugh, not at all threatened by Jeremy, " I can't compel you. But if your conscience is getting in the way, then allow me to make this easy for you. Because I can compel them." Klaus gestured to the patrons of the bar that were being fed by the lone blond Klaus had left alive to do so, " I'm gonna give you a two minute head start. Then I'm gonna send every vampire in here after you. You kill them or they kill your friend Matt."

Matt had been silently listening to the conversation as he took in all the newly turned vampires but when he heard Klaus's last statement he finally broke his silence.

"Wait a second!"

"No, no." Damon said to Klaus, "You turn them, he kills them. That was the deal, Klaus."

"I'm taking artistic license." Klaus said with another smirk

"You know he can't take them all on at the same time." Damon argued, trying to get the Original to not go along with his new plan, fearing that Jeremy would get himself killed.

"With you as his coach, he'll be fine." Klaus said before shifting his gaze over to Matt, "It's Matt I'm worried about."

Damon and Klaus stared each other down for a few minutes before the younger vampire backed down with a sigh.

"Jeremy, go get the weapons out of the car. I'll be right behind you." Jeremy didn't say a word as he ran out of the bar to Damon's car. Damon, sensing the quarterback still standing to his right, turned and added, " Both of you."

"If I hear an engine start I'll kill Matt myself." Klaus yelled to Jeremy and Matt as they ran out of the bar.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I drove up the driveway to the lake house and shut of my car before getting out and heading inside.

"Hello?" I called out but no one replied, which I found strange since Damon had called me less than an hour ago to meet him here.

I looked around the house but came up empty a few minutes later. I headed back outside, starting to get worried by the guys sudden disappearance, when I was suddenly struck by the smell of blood coming from the woods. I ran through the woods, following the smell, and a few moments later I saw Matt being tackled o the ground by a vampire. My instincts kicked in and I didn't hesitant to rip out the vampires heart out of his chest before throwing it to the side. I wiped the blood off of my hand before helping Matt get to his feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked him as I saw the blood dripping from his neck

Matt nodded as I heard the sound of footsteps coming towards us. I turned around and was relieved to see that it was just Jeremy.

"Get to the house!" Jeremy ordered and the three of us started running back

"Jeremy, what is going on?" I asked, wondering what the hell was going on, as we made our way up the stairs of the lake house.

"They're coming." Jeremy said vaguely as he looked back towards the woods

I followed his gaze and watched as a large group of vampires walked slowly out of the woods and towards us. I pushed Jeremy and Matt inside before following after them and slamming the door shut behind me.

* * *

As we waited for the vampires to run off, Jeremy and Matt explained everything that had happened since I had left and I was starting to get angrier and angrier with each new thing they told me. The sun started to rise not much later and Jeremy kept watch by the window as I was working on Matt's wound.

"Sun's up." Jeremy announced as he walked away from the window, "They're long gone."

I finished putting a bandage on Matt's neck just as Damon walked into the room.

"What the hell were you thinking?" I snapped as I walked up to him, " All I asked you to do was to teach him how to fight."

"He's not the best student in the world." Damon replied which just pissed me off more since he was trying to put this on Jeremy

"Wait. Now this is my fault?" Jeremy asked, obviously as angry as I was about the blame

"Stop talking." Damon told Jeremy before turning back to me, "Look, I know you're angry, but my way was the easiest, fastest, and safest way to complete his mark and get you the cure."

"I don't care about the cure, Damon." I told him, "Not if it means putting the people that I love in danger."

"Hey, there wouldn't have been any danger if he hadn't gone all bleeding heart on me." Damon defended

"He killed someone." I snapped, leaving out the fact that I had killed one of the vampire's as well, "These were innocent people."

"The mark grew, didn't it?" I looked at Damon with a mixture of anger and disbelief and did my best to calm myself down so I didn't do something rash

"Okay, look." I sighed "We need a plan. There's a group of compelled vampires out there and as soon as the sun goes down they are gonna come after Matt, so we have to find a way to protect him."

"Yes, I know." Damon agreed, walking over to Jeremy and resting his arm on Jeremy's shoulder, "But there will be no problem when big Jer and I go on a hunting expedition." When Damon saw the disapproving look I was giving him, he continued, "Audrey, I know, it's tragic. I get it. But we also agreed that he had to kill them. Now, we have added incentive. So you take the least most valuable player home; Jeremy and I will finish this."

"I'm sorry? Are you saying that I should leave him here with you?" I asked him incredulously

"Trust me." Damon said as he walked towards me, " I will keep him safe, okay."

I looked at him for a few moments, not saying anything, before turning to Matt who was still sitting on the couch.

"Come on, Matt." I said and he quickly got off of the couch and headed toward the door with me a few steps behind him. As I was about to walk out the door I turned back to Damon, "I love you, Damon. But if anything happens to him, I will kick your ass."

I didn't wait for a response before heading out the door to meet up with Matt as my car.

* * *

After a long and painfully silent drive back to Mystic Falls, I was relieved when I pulled up to my house and we finally got out of the car. I decided to break the awkward silence as we walked into the house.

"I'm so sorry." I apologized, "When I asked you to stay with Jeremy, I never thought-"

"What did you expect, Audrey?" Matt interrupted me angrily, surprising me with his sudden outburst, " It's Damon."

"I never wanted anyone to get hurt, Matt." I tried to explain

"Well, then you shouldn't have left him in charge." Matt snapped before continuing calmly, "Look. I'm sorry. I know you didn't have a choice. Sire bond and all."

"Sire bond doesn't work that way." I said

"All I know, Audrey, is the old you would have never left Jeremy with Damon, especially after what happened last night." Matt told me

"What happened last night?" Elena asked as she walked down the stairs

I was about to answer her when my phone started ringing. I looked down at the screen to see Jeremy's name.

"I'll explain in a minute." I told her before answering the phone, "Jeremy?"

"Audrey, we're in trouble." Jeremy rushed out

"Whoa, woah, woah, slow down." I told him as I looked up as Matt and Elena who were looking back at me, clearly worried, "What happened?"

"Listen to me. Kol attacked us." My blood ran cold when I heard this and I could barely register the sound of a car engine starting on Jeremy's side of the line, "I barely got away, but he has Damon."

"Jeremy, get back here as fast as you can, okay?" I ordered him, "No stops."

"Got it, but what about Damon?" Jeremy asked me

"I'll worry about that, you just worry about getting back here." I told him before hanging up

" Audrey, what the hell is going on?" Elena asked me as I shoved my phone back in my pocket

"Matt can explain everything to you while you guys wait here for Jeremy." I said as I opened the front door

"What are you going to do?" Elena questioned

"Something I was hoping I would ever have to do." I sighed, shutting the door behind me as I headed back to my car.

* * *

"A bit ironic, you coming to for help." Klaus smirked as I sat across from him in the living room of his mansion. It was the last place on earth I wanted to be but Klaus was the only one that could control his siblings so I had to suck it up until Kol was taken care of, "Weren't your friends just trying to bury in a cement tomb?"

"This is your fault." I told him from my spot on the couch, "You started this when you forced Jeremy to kill all of those vampires."

"And now my little brat of a brother has gone and made things worse." Klaus added as he leaned back in his chair, "Well, he never did like Damon." I immediately thought back to the time Kol had beaten Damon multiple times with a baseball bat when we had gone to Denver to pick up Jeremy. I was pulled out of my memory when I heard Klaus continue, "I suppose I should do something, shouldn't I?"

"Call him off, Klaus." I demanded

"You are in no position to make demands, love." Klaus said calmly, "Whilst I'd like to cure you to make more hybrids, I do have other reasons for finding the cure, not the least of which is destroying it so you lot can't use it against me."

"Look, whatever our differences, we want the same thing." I said, making sure I didn't upset him to the point where he would refuse to call off Kol, "Please call him."

Klaus smiled at me before rolling his eyes and pulling out his phone to call Kol. It only took a few moments before Kol picked up.

"Little brother." Klaus said, not waiting for Kol to say anything, "Just two days home and I'm told you've already gone and made a mess."

As Klaus was talking my phone vibrated in my pocket and I pulled it out to see a text from Elena telling me that Jeremy was home. I sent back a quick reply saying that I would be back soon before putting my phone away and focused on the conversation Klaus and Kol were having.

"Come on, Nik. I was only having some fun." Kol whined and I couldn't help but roll my eyes. The Originals sure had a sick sense of humor, not that I hadn't realized it before with Rebekah and Klaus.

"Those vampires were for my hunter." Klaus informed his brother

"I'll make more." Kol assured Klaus, " There's no shortage of people."

"Where's Damon Salvatore?" Klaus asked

"I gave him a good and proper beating for old time's sake." Kol replied, I was a little worried by this but at least Kol didn't kill Damon

"Yes. Well, now you've had your fun. Now let him go and come home." Klaus ordered before adding, "Avoid anymore trouble or find yourself back in a box."

"Hey, no need to be nasty about it."

"On the contrary, I find nastiness to be essential whenever my siblings try to sabotage me. Listen closely, Kol. Stay away from the Gilbert boy." Klaus told him, " You understand?"

"Fine." Kol huffed in annoyance and I could almost hear him roll his eyes, "I won't touch him. You have my word."

The line went dead as Kol hung up his phone and Klaus put away his phone before looking at me.

"There, problem solved." Klaus said as I stood up, "Kol shouldn't be a problem anymore."

"Thank you." I thanked him before making my way out of the mansion

* * *

"Jeremy, it's over." I heard Elena say from the kitchen as I walked into the house, "You can put all of this away."

I made my way into the kitchen as saw that Jeremy had all of his vampire hunting weapons sprawled out across the table.

"Klaus still wants me to finish the mark." Jeremy told Elena as he loaded a gun with wooden bullets, "He's not gonna stop."

"Calm down, Jer." I said and both Jeremy and Elena turned to look at me, "Damon's gonna be back soon and then we can figure something out."

"Seriously?" Jeremy asked me angrily, "You still trust Damon?"

"He saved your life." I reminded him

"No, he saved the cure." Jeremy clarified, "He couldn't care less about me."

"I care about you." I told him, walking up to him and putting my hand on his shoulder but he quickly shrugged it off

"Don't." he warned me, "Whatever's inside of me that makes me want to hurt you, right now it's on overdrive."

"Jeremy." Elena called out and Jeremy and I looked down at his hand to see him holding a wooden stake

"I'm sorry." Jeremy apologized as he let the stake fall to the floor, "I know what I have to do, Audrey. I really want to get this cure but…I just don't know how I'm gonna do this."

* * *

After Jeremy had put away all of his weapons he had decided to go to the Grill to make sure that Matt was okay. When he left I took a seat on the couch in the living room and waited for Damon while Elena went out to meet up with Caroline. It wasn't long before the doorbell rang and I opened the door to Damon.

"What happened? Are you okay?" I asked Damon as I rested my hand on his arm

"Kol happened." Damon told me vaguely

"Well, yeah, I gathered that much." I said, looking him over to make sure that he was okay, " Thank God you both got away. If Kol had taken Jeremy-"

"Is he here?" Damon interrupted me, looking through the door for him, "Cause I just wanted to talk to him really fast."

"Uh, he's at the Grill." I told him, "He wanted to check on Matt."

"Well, I should go apologize to him." Damon said, which was weird since Damon wasn't really one to apologize, "I was pretty tough on him today."

"Okay, I'll go with you." I said, grabbing my jacket before shutting the door. I watched Damon warily as we walked to his car. I didn't know what it was but something was definitely wrong with Damon.

* * *

Damon and I made our way into the Grill and quickly spotted Matt cleaning off one of the tables towards the middle of the room.

"Do you ever take a night off?" Damon asked Matt when we reached him

"I took two days off to help you out at the lake house, remember? I almost got killed." Matt reminded him

"Where's Jeremy?" Damon questioned him

In the back I think." Matt said and Damon headed off towards the back

"Are you doing okay?" I asked Matt while I watched Damon walk away

"Yeah. All things considering." Matt replied, " What's Damon's problem?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out." I said, looking around the Grill to see where Damon had gone, "I'll talk to you later, okay?"

I didn't wait for Matt to answer before making my way towards the back of the Grill where I found Damon walking towards a really freaked out looking Jeremy.

"Damon!" I called out and he stopped in his tracks and turned to face me with an unrecognizable look on his face, "What's going on?" Damon turned back towards where Jeremy had been a moment before but Jeremy had run off into the back room. Damon looked back at me for a second before heading after Jeremy.

"Damon, What the hell is wrong with you?" I asked as I followed him into the back room

"It was Kol." Damon said as he looked around the empty room for Jeremy, "He must have compelled me." He stopped for a minute when he saw that the entrance to the tunnels had been opened and then he looked back at me, "If I find Jeremy, I'm gonna kill him."

Before I could respond to that bombshell, Damon used his vampire speed to enter the tunnels.

* * *

By the time I got into the tunnels Damon and Jeremy were long gone. I could vaguely hear Damon yelling but it was impossible to tell exactly where it was coming from. I continued to walk through the tunnels and a few minutes later I heard the sound of gun shots and I could smell blood. I followed the smell to the Lockwood cellar but by the time I got there Damon and Jeremy were gone again. I heard someone walking up the stairs and out of the Lockwood cellar, into the woods, and followed after them. When I stepped outside I could see Damon walking a few feet in front of me.

"Damon stop!" I shouted and he turned to face me, "I know you don't want to hurt Jeremy, so please stop."

"I can't." he told me, pain evident in his voice

"Yes, you can." I assured him, taking a few steps foword, "You're strong enough to resist the compulsion. I know you are."

"Why, because Stefan did?" Damon asked

"Because I love you. Because you love me. You'd do anything for me, so please…do this for me." It seemed as if Damon was gonna give in when I started smelling Jeremy's blood again. I looked at Damon and I could tell that he had smelled it too.

"I'm sorry, Audrey." Damon apologized before running off to find Jeremy

"Damon!" I called out but he didn't stop, "Damn it."

I ran after him and showed up in time to see Jeremy pointing a gun at Damon, the latter of which was trying to get Jeremy to shoot him.

"Shoot me!" Damon said, walking up to Jeremy

"No!" I shouted as Jeremy was about to squeeze down on the trigger.

Suddenly the gun fell out of his hand and to the ground a few feet away from him. Jeremy looked down at the gun in confusion before looking back at Damon, probably trying to figure out the odds of getting to the gun before Damon killed him. I had to admit, even with me here to help him, it wasn't looking good. Jeremy bolted towards the gun and Damon ran towards Jeremy fully intent on killing him.

"Damon, stop!" I yelled and he went flying back into a tree a couple of feet back with a sickening snap before slumping to the ground, unconscious.

Jeremy had gotten his gun and was now looking at Damon in shock, obviously trying to figure what was going on.

"What the hell was that?" he asked me but I didn't answer him because I wasn't entirely sure myself.

I walked over to Damon and saw that his neck was snapped, which meant I had a good hour before he would wake up. I grabbed his car keys from his jacket pocket.

"Go home, Jeremy." I told him as I stood up

"Audrey, what the hell was that?" Jeremy repeated, ignoring me, "Did you do that?"

"I don't know, Jeremy." I snapped before taking a deep breath and continuing calmly, "I don't know. Just go home and I will meet you there after I figure out what to do with Damon."

Jeremy nodded slowly before heading off in the direction of the Grill. I pulled my phone out and quickly dialed Stefan's number.

"Well, if it isn't my least favorite psychic." The unmistakable voice of Rebekah answered Stefan's phone

"If it isn't the Original psychotic bitch." I replied, although there wasn't as much attitude behind it as usual, "Where's Stefan, I need to talk to him."

"He's not in the mood to talk." Rebekah told me which just set me off

"Tell him to get over himself and put him on the damn phone." I yelled into the phone and I heard something snap near me and I looked up to see a huge tree branch fall a few feet to my left, "Son of a bitch."

I heard a few muffled sounds as the phone switched hands and a moment later Stefan replied, " What is it?"

"Long story short, Kol compelled Damon to kill Jeremy. I stopped him and now he's laying in the woods with a broken neck and I need somewhere to keep him so he doesn't go after Jeremy again."

"You broke Damon's neck?" Stefan asked me in disbelief

"Not intentionally and not exactly the most important part of what I just told you." I said as I picked up Damon, wrapping my arm around his waist to hold him up, and headed towards his car, "A place to keep him, now that was important, Stefan. Suggestions?"

"You can keep him in our cellar." Stefan suggested, " I can keep an eye on him there and make sure he doesn't get out."

"Perfect, I'll meet you there in ten minutes." I told him, hanging up before he could reply.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, I was leaning against Damon's car when Stefan pulled into the driveway.

I said ten minutes." I reminded him as he walked up to me

"I was out of town." he replied, "Where is he?"

I opened up the back door of the car and gestured to Damon who was sprawled out across the back seat. Stefan didn't hesitate to pull his brother out and walk into the boarding house. I followed him inside but when he headed toward the basement I took a seat on one of the couches in the living room. As soon as I sat down, everything that had happened in the last few days, and the fact that I had slept at all in the last two days, set in and I was immediately exhausted. I sat around the boarding house for an hour until I heard Stefan make his way back up the steps. I got off the couch and met up with him in the hallway.

"Going to see Damon?" Stefan asked

"No, he could ask me to let him out and I wouldn't have a choice but to do it." I told him, "And I can't watch Jeremy twenty four seven to make sure Damon doesn't kill him."

"Than what?" he questioned

"Are you and Rebekah together?" I asked him, guessing as much since Rebekah had answered his phone and I knew that they had a thing back in the twenties

"If I say yes are you going to yell at me and go on some rant about what a bitch she is?" Stefan questioned, crossing his arms across his chest

"No." I told him, shaking my head

"What?" Stefan asked in confusion

"No." I repeated, "Granted, I do think that Rebekah is a bitch, but it's not my place. Look, I know what it feels like to be in love with someone that everyone else you know hates. It feels terrible knowing that everybody you care about doesn't see the same thing in that person that you do. But, unlike you Stefan, I'm not going to continually tell you what terrible idea it is to be with someone you love. It's your job to decide who's the right person for you, not anybody else's." Stefan looked at me in sadness and I turned around and walked toward the door. I was about to leave when I remembered one last thing, "And Stefan, make sure to tell Elena it's over. She shouldn't have to wait for someone that isn't coming back for her."

Then I headed out of the boarding house and to Damon's car.

* * *

When I walked into my house and immediately walked into the kitchen and pulled a blood bag out of the fridge. I grabbed a glass out of the cabinet and filled it with the blood. I took a seat at the kitchen table but before I could take a sip from my glass Jeremy and Elena walked in and sat at the table across from me.

"We need to talk." Elena said

"Well, that's not ominous at all." I said to myself before taking a sip of my blood, " About what?"

"You." Jeremy replied

"Guys, I'm exhausted can we do this tomorrow or possibly never." I said, downing the rest of my drink

"No, we have to talk about it, Audrey." Elena told me, "Something's up with you. Aurora told me what happened when you guys were trapped in the school. You were mad at Stefan and every beaker in the room blew up."

"And?"

"And tonight my gun flew out of my hand when I tried to shoot Damon. Then Damon went flying into a tree so hard that his neck broke when he tried to kill me." Jeremy added and I stayed completely quiet as he continued, "And it happened because you were pissed off. You broke all those beakers, you sent the gun out of my hand, and you broke Damon's neck."

Even though I knew what they were telling me was true, I didn't want to believe that I could have done all that. That I was becoming an even bigger freak than I already was.

"It wasn't me." I denied

"How else would you explain everything that's happened?" Elena asked me

"How the hell should I know, Elena." I snapped, "It wasn't me so just back off."

I got to my feet and the glass that I had been drinking from shattered. I looked down at the broken glass for a moment and before Elena, Jeremy, or I could say anything there was a knock at the door. I made my way over to the door and sighed when I opened it and saw Klaus. Obviously I wasn't going to be getting a break anytime soon.

"Good evening Gilbert/Darke clan." Klaus greeted as Jeremy and Elena walked up behind me

"What do you want, Klaus?" I asked in annoyance, hoping to skip the pleasantries

"I've come to fetch my hunter." Klaus said, looking at Jeremy, "Seeing as how my brother's become a liability, Jeremy will be safer with me."

"I think I'll pass." Jeremy told him, " I've killed enough people for you today

"You think you're safer here? Hmm." Klaus mused, "Clearly you don't know Kol. He'll stop at nothing to get what he wants, so strange as it may seem, I'm your best bet."

"Sorry, but I think we'd rather take out chances." I told him firmly

"Fine." Klaus said to me, "But when Kol does come, and he will come, be sure to let me know, preferably before he burns your nice little home to the ground." Then Klaus turned to address Jeremy, "And as for you hunter, there's no shortage of people to turn or loved ones to threaten." While Klaus said this his eyes drifted toward Elena before they made their way back to Jeremy, "So sleep well, we'll plan on finishing our work tomorrow."

When Klaus was finished he turned and made his way off the porch and I slammed the door shut.

* * *

After Klaus had left, Elena's phone started ringing and she headed up to her room to talk in private. When she answered I could just barely make out the sound of Stefan's voice on the other end and I immediately tuned it out, assuming that Stefan was taking my advice and breaking things off things with Elena for good. I knew the last thing Elena needed at that moment was me eavesdropping on her conversation. While Elena was in her room, I made my way back into the kitchen to clean up the broken glass and Jeremy followed after me.

"This is never gonna end." Jeremy told me as he leaned against the doorway to the kitchen, "If Kol doesn't kill me first, then Klaus is just gonna force me to kill more innocent people. How many is it going to take. Ten? A hundred?"

As I finished cleaning up the table I was struck with an idea.

"If you kill one Original vampire, their entire bloodline will die with them." I told him, "That's thousands, maybe tens of thousands of vampires." I turned to face Jeremy as I continued, "Kol compelled Damon to kill you but you're gonna kill Kol instead."

**Author's Note**

Done. Hope you guys like and please don't forget to review on your way out. Please forgive me for any mistakes, I really wanted to update before tonight's episode ( OMG I'm so excited!). Also, I have to warn you guys that I am starting a rather lengthy research project next week so it may effect my updates. I will try my best to update frequently but please be patient. Thanks and remember to review. Until next time...

Audrey;D


	12. A View To Kill

**Author's Note: **_ First off,I would like to apologize to all of you guys for taking so long to update. Life's been really hectic and everything is finally starting to calm down enough to the point where I actually have the time to sit down and write. I am hoping that updates will be coming out much faster now that school is over. Secondly, thank you to everyone that has stuck with this story though everything, it means a lot. Whether you review, favorite, alert, or just read the story, know that it is appreciated. Anyway, enough with the babbling, here it chapter twelve._

**Chapter Twelve-A View To Kill**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

"I can't believe you talked me into this." I said to Bonnie as I stood next to her in the Mystic High gym, blowing up red balloons for the eighties decade dance tonight.

"Not like I'm enjoying this much either." Bonnie replied as she tied the end of a balloon before letting it fall to the floor, "But I told Caroline that I'd take her place at the decade dance and everyone promised to help out."

"Yet I was the only one that showed up." I pointed out, tying the end of yet another balloon

"Yep, you're here so there is no use whining about it. Let's just get this done to Caroline level perfection and get out of here." Bonnie told me causing me to scowl since I knew how impossible it was to get something done to Caroline perfection unless Caroline did it herself, "Where is everyone anyway?"

"Well, Caroline is still with Tyler. I have Jeremy under house arrest since Kol wants to kidnap him and Klaus wants to take him one some vampire-slaying road trip. Aurora and Elena are keeping an eye on him and Matt is their to help him 'train'." I told her, making quotation marks with my hands when I said train

"Why the air quotes?" Bonnie asked

"They're playing Call of Duty." I explained as I filled the last balloon and Bonnie started laughing

"I'm surprised you're not watching Jeremy yourself." Bonnie told me when she had stopped laughing

"Well, I promised that I would help you set up this dance and I am a woman of my word." I said as we started setting up a few tables, "Plus, I'm heading back there after we're done to help them out."

"I don't know how I am supposed to look forward to this dance when you guys are gonna be trapped in your house." Bonnie frowned

"No need to worry Bonnie Bennett because I have a plan to end all of this." I told her, lowering my voice when I saw two guys from the AV club come in to set up the surround sound for the music, "Jeremy's gonna kill Kol."

"You want Jeremy to kill an Original?" Bonnie questioned in disbelief as we moved out of the gym and down to the janitors closet to grab some cleaning supplies to clean off the refreshment tables

"Think about it. Kol's sire line must stretch to the moon by now." I began to explain, "If Jeremy kills Kol, every vampire that he's ever turned, not to mention everyone that they've turned, will die. Which means the hunter's mark will be complete and we'll have our key to finding the cure."

"I'm in." Bonnie said as I grabbed a bucket and started filling it up with water, "We'll figure it out."

I was about to reply but as I picked up the bucket some of the water spilled on my hand. Usually this wouldn't be a problem but when the water made contact with my skin it started to burn.

"Son of a bitch." I hissed in pain as I stepped away from the water

"What is it, Audrey?" Bonnie asked, looking down at the burn on my arm that was slowly starting to heal, "What happened?"

"I think someone put vervain in the water." I told Bonnie and her eyes widened in shock.

* * *

Bonnie told me that she had a feeling that Rudy Hopkins, Bonnie's dad and the new mayor, was the one responsible for the vervain and quickly went off to call him. While Bonnie was talking to her dad I called Aurora and Caroline and warned them about the vervain to try and prevent any mishaps. When I was finished with my calls, I started walking down the hall I had seen Bonnie going down a few minutes earlier. I could tell I was getting closer when I heard the sound of Bonnie's father respond to something she had said over the phone.

"You've been doing fine?" Rudy asked his daughter, "Would you like me to read you all the names of the people that have gone missing or died in tragic accidents in your senior year alone? Head straight home please, we're having a family meeting."

I turned down another hallway and saw Bonnie standing a few feet in front of me. Before I could move any closer, Kol came out of nowhere and slammed Bonnie against a row of lockers.

"No one can find the cure if you're too dead to find it." he yelled at Bonnie as he held her against the lockers

I was about to intervene when Kol yelled out in pain and started holding head and he fell to his knees, leading me to believe that Bonnie was giving him one of her witchy migraines. I took this opportunity to run up to Kol and snap his neck before he could get back to his feet and kill Bonnie.

"Come on Bonnie, it won't take him long to heal, we gotta get out of here before he wakes up." I told Bonnie as she looked down at Kol, clearly freaked out that he had just tried to kill her

Bonnie nodded but didn't say a thing as we ran out of the school and to our cars. I tried to convince Bonnie to ride back to my house with me, but she just insisted that she had to go talk to her dad first then she would meet up with me. I watched as Bonnie got in her car and drove out of the parking lot before getting in mine and doing the same. As I drove home, I pulled out my phone and quickly dialed Stefan's number, after a few moments he picked up.

"Damon's fine." Stefan answered without even giving me a chance to talk, " I locked him up with everything he needs."

"That's not the reason I called." I said as I speed down the road to my house, " Kol just tried to kill Bonnie."

"What? Is she okay?"

"Yeah, she's just shaken up." I told him, "She managed to hold him off long enough for me to snap his neck. It seems as if Kol is intent on murdering everyone who's looking for the cure."

"Yeah, Klaus has me trying to convince Rebekah to give up her dagger so he can take care of Kol." Stefan informed me

"See, the problem is that I don't want to just dagger Kol, I want Jeremy to kill him." I explained

Stefan didn't say anything at first and I heard the sound of his motorcycle starting up before he continued.

"What did you just say?" Stefan asked, thinking that he must of misheard me

"Bonnie has all this crazy new power, she thinks she can hold him long enough for Jeremy to get a clean shot." I said although it was a lie, I had no idea what Bonnie could or couldn't do but I knew if I didn't give Stefan some semblance of a plan he wouldn't listen to me

"And then what, huh?" Stefan asked, "Klaus and Rebekah will kill every one of us out of spite. They may be dysfunctional bickering lunatics but they stick together no matter what."

"That's why I need you to take care of Rebekah." I said as I pulled into the driveway of my house, "Find the dagger so Matt can use it on her. She can't come looking for revenge if she's laying in a box."

"I can't do that." Stefan told me and I remembered that something was going on between him and Rebekah.

"Fine, than use your Salvatore charm to get her on our side. I don't care how you do it but I need her to not be a threat." I told him as I got out of my car and headed into the house where Matt and Jeremy were still playing Call of Duty and Aurora and Elena were sitting and talking at the kitchen table, "Bonnie thinks that she can get Klaus out of the picture too. At least temporarily. Once we get the cure none of this will matter because we can use it against them."

"All right, fine." Stefan caved, "But how do you plan to lure in Kol?"

"I've got a few ideas. Just worry about Rebekah and I'll take care of the rest." I said before hanging up on him.

* * *

An hour or so later I had filled in Aurora, Elena, Matt, and Jeremy everything that was going on and explained my plan for killing Kol. I had expected Bonnie to show up by now, but no such luck. I tried to call her but her phone just went directly to voicemail. I wasn't too worried since she was safe at her house and probably busy with her dad so I gave up on that and got Jeremy's phone so I could call Kol.

"Jeremy Gilbert." Kol answered almost immediately, "Nice to see that I'm still on your speed dial, mate. Hey, you want to meet up at the batting cages in Denver?"

"Actually, it's Audrey Darke." I corrected him as I watched Jeremy and Matt set up different weapons with the help of Aurora and Elena.

"What a treat." Kol said and I could tell that he was smirking, "Yeah, I was just thinking of all the clever ways I could have your cousin killed, but I'd settle for ripping off his illustrated arm instead."

" I need to talk to you." I told him, deciding to ignore his comment, "In person. I want to call a truce."

"This coming from the girl that snapped my neck." Kol reminded me

"Well, I couldn't exactly let you kill my friend." I replied, "How about it? A truce in the name of Silas."

"You want to talk about Silas?" Kol asked, obviously not expecting that

"I'll meet you where ever you want." I said before adding," I'll come to you."

"I'll tell you what. How about I come to you?" Kol said and less than a second later the doorbell rang, causing everyone to look towards the door and my heart to sink. I had to admit, I wasn't expecting that, "If you want a truce, open the door and invite me in." I was silent for a minute as I thought of what I should do, "I'm waiting. Let me in and let's talk truce." I caught sight of the blackboard we kept on the wall next to the fridge and put the phone on speaker before setting it down on the counter so I could grab the blackboard, "Hello?"

"Wouldn't it be kind of stupid to invite you in?" I asked, stalling him so I could write on the blackboard

"On the contrary, I can't kill Jeremy with my own two hands, or I'll suffer the hunters curse and spend the next twenty years trying to off myself in gruesome ways." Kol explained

"That hunter's curse sure is a bitch." I said as I wrote _'Help Stefan with Rebekah' _and showed it to Matt and Aurora. They both nodded before heading out the back door.

"Yes, it is." Kol agreed as I cleaned off the board, "And I've heard that vervain's back in town, so I can't compel you to kill him either. So I think it's safe to say you're safe for now."

As Kol was talking I wrote _'Get out. Get Bonnie' _and showed it to Elena and Jeremy. Elena nodded but for some reason Jeremy didn't get the reason why I wanted them gone.

"But I'm the only one that can invite him inside." Jeremy whispered and I had to resist the urge to hit him upside the head as I glared at him

"He's right, obviously." Kol replied, hearing what Jeremy had said

I looked at Jeremy and Elena for a moment before walking over and opening the door to look at Kol.

"You'd think being alive for over a thousand years would teach me some manners, but I couldn't resist stopping by." Kol said, taking the headphones he had out of his ears and wrapping them around his phone.

"If I let you in, my cousins go." I told him, "You're not getting near either of them."

"You know, you are so much like Elijah. Always so protective of family but never thinking about your own well being." Kol said with a small smile that quickly faded as he continued, "I always thought it was a bit pathetic but if that's what you want than fine, seems fair. You let me in and your family can go."

"Go ahead, Jeremy." I called out as I glared at the Original

"You can come in." Jeremy invited him in before leaving out the back door with Elena

"No gold medals for bravery, I see." Kol mused before looking back down at his phone, "You know, the thing I love about the modern age is music, anytime you like."

As Kol put his phone in his jacket pocket, I saw the white oak stake in one of other inside pockets of his jacket. I looked away quickly to make sure that Kol didn't realize that I had seen the stake.

"So…this the part where you offer me a drink so we can have a proper chat?" Kol asked as he walked inside.

"Why not?" I said, shutting the door before turning to face him, "I could use a drink."

* * *

I left Kol in the living room as I grabbed a bottle of bourbon from my room. As I walked back downstairs I felt my phone vibrate and pulled it out to see that Jeremy had texted me.

'_Trying to find Bonnie. KEEP KOL THERE.'_

I quickly typed out a reply, telling him to check her house, before putting my phone on silent and heading back downstairs. When I reentered the living room, I saw that Kol had started playing Call of Duty where Jeremy had left it earlier.

"You're lucky I like to drink." I announced, causing Kol to pause the game and look at me, "If not, this place wouldn't be stocked with alcohol."

"It's a shame that you weren't around a hundred years ago." Kol said as he threw the controller onto the couch and followed me into the kitchen.

I grabbed two glasses from the cupboard on my way to the counter in the middle of the kitchen. As I set the classes and bourbon on the counter, I turned to Kol and asked, "Why is that?"

"Turn of the century New Orleans, now they new how to make a drink." Kol told me, smiling at the memory, "I bet you would have had a blast."

"You lived in New Orleans?" I questioned as I headed over to the freezer to grab some ice

"We all did." Kol started, taking the ice from me and making our drinks, "Until Niklaus shoved a dagger in my heart."

"What did you do?" I asked as I took one of the glasses

"What makes you think I did anything?" Kol asked in a tone that suggested he was pissed that I just assumed he had done something wrong, "Has your alliance with my brother softened you to his horrors?"

"Not at all. I happen to know exactly how terrible of a person your brother is." I said before pausing to take a sip of my drink, "But you haven't exactly been the poster child for trust and innocence. I mean, you did compel my boyfriend to kill my cousin." I saw Kol smirk when I said the last part and I had to resist the urge to try and stake him know, "Either way, I don't have an alliance with Klaus. We had a mutual interest in finding the cure; that's all."

"Had?" Kol said, taking a few steps toward me

"Yes. And I'm willing to give up looking for it if you promise to leave Jeremy alone." I told him, lying though my teeth.

Kol remained quiet as he looked at me and after a few moments I was starting to feel uncomfortable at the silence and lack of space between us. When I realized that he wasn't going to respond, I made my way around him and decided to change the subject.

"You're really good at that game." I said, gesturing to the X-Box, "Especially considering that you've been locked up in a coffin for a hundred years."

"I'm a quick learner. Speedy reflexes." Kol smiled cheekily, "It's not much like the real thing though, is it?"

"Nope, not even close." I responded lamely, hoping he would leave it at that because the last thing I needed was to start talking about killing Conner

"So, are we going to talk about Silas or just jibber-gabber?" Kol asked, quickly switching back to his usual impatient self

I waved my hand toward the family room and Kol headed in as I stayed behind to check my phone. I saw a new text from Aurora.

'_No dagger yet. Need time.'_

I sighed as I put my phone back into my pocket. Nothing could ever be easy apparently. When I made it to the family room Kol was already leaning against the back of the couch, waiting for me to start.

"Nobody else seems to think Silas exists, so why do you?" I asked, taking another sip of bourbon

"I used to run with some witches." Kol began to explain, "Africa in the fourteenth century, Haiti in the seventeenth century, New Orleans in the nineteen hundreds. They all new about Silas; that he needed to stay buried." Kol downed the rest of his drink before continuing, "I actually hold witches in high esteem."

"Okay, so every witch you've known is freaked out by something that may or may not be true, but that doesn't explain why you're so afraid of him." I said, trying to get some information about Silas.

"They said if Silas rises, he'll unleash hell on Earth." Kol replied seriously, "I happened to like Earth just the way it is."

"That's pretty biblical." I commented

"Well, that's the other problem with people today; they've lost fate. And in that lost, they no longer know who they should fear." Kol said and I had to admit, Silas was starting to sound pretty bad.

* * *

Kol and I went though the bourbon quickly so I headed back into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine since I had actually run out of all the stronger drinks save the bottle of Bourbon Alaric had kept but there was no way I was going anywhere near that.

"Unfortunately we're all out of bourbon but I think this is a good year." I said, looking up at Kol to see that he was looking at an old picture of Elena, Jeremy and I.

"What if I said I don't believe you?" Kol asked and I knew that everything was going to go downhill from here.

"Okay, you caught me." I started, hoping that I could keep up the ruse for a little bit longer, "I don't know anything about wine. I happen to like my drinks a little bit stronger."

"It just seems odd that you'd be so willing to give up something you want so much." Kol said, turning away from the picture.

"I would do anything for my family." I told him, "And if what you're saying about Silas is true, what does it matter what I want if it puts everyone else in danger?"

Kol stared at me for a few moments, trying to decide whether or not I was being sincere, before continuing.

"Well, this has been enlightening. Thanks for the drinks." Kol spoke up, heading towards the door as I tried to come up with a way to stall him further, "I'll take your request for a truce under advisement."

"But is there any chance you could be wrong about Silas?" I asked in a final attempt to keep him from leaving.

"Trust me, Audrey." Kol said as he opened the door, "Some things are better left buried."

Before I had a chance to say anything else, Kol stepped outside and slammed the door shut behind him.

* * *

I heard the door open and close a few minutes after Kol left and headed back towards the door to see that Elena and Jeremy had come back without Bonnie.

"I'm sorry." I apologized before they could say anything, "He left. I tried to stall him as long as I could."

We all turned back to the door when we heard the doorbell ring and I blurred towards the door before Jeremy or Elena could open it.

"It's Bonnie." Elena told me, "She was right behind us."

I opened the door but instead of the witch I had been expecting I found Kol.

"I've considered your request for a truce. Request denied." I slammed the door shut and grabbed hold of Jeremy and Elena, racing them upstairs as Kol continued, "I'm sorry; I've already been invited in!" I heard a crash and could only assume that Kol had kicked in the door, "Hide and seek? Fine by me."

* * *

After I had brought Elena and Jeremy into their adjoining bathroom, I grabbed one of Jeremy's crossbows and headed back down the stairs as quietly as I could. I heard Kol finish up a call with Klaus and stepped out and shot him in the leg. I heard him scream and didn't wait before running back upstairs. I headed into Elena's room and started to push her dresser towards the door. I caught a glimpse of Kol as he came towards me and quickly shut the door, trying in vain to hold him off. I gave up and headed through the bathroom, moving Jeremy and Elena into Jer's room. I locked the door to the bathroom as Jeremy picked up a stake gun. The door flew open as Kol kicked it open and before he could walk into the room Jeremy fired the gun. Unfortunately, Kol was too fast and grabbed the stake before it could do any damage.

"Missed." Kol smirked, throwing the stake down onto the floor

Jeremy fired again but Kol caught the stake once more. I noticed that Jeremy was out of stakes and started looking for something to use when I heard the sound of another gun going off. I looked up and saw Elena shooting Kol with a pistol loaded with wooden bullets but it didn't seem to have any effect.

"Jeremy, go!" I yelled at him, pushing him toward the door when he didn't move

Kol had made his was towards Elena while I was distracted and I turned back to face them I saw Kol grab Elena's hand. I heard a snap as Kol twisted Elena's wrist, causing her to scream in pain and the gun to fall out of her hand, before throwing her against the wall across the room. She fell to the ground with a thud, unconscious but still alive. I knew that I had to keep Kol away from her so I ran at him and threw him out of the room and into the hallway. I made it into the hallway to see Kol push Jeremy down the stairs. I jumped on Kol's back but he easily threw me off and into a wall. Kol snapped off a part of the stair railing and shoved it into my stomach and into the wall behind me, making it impossible to move. I hissed in pain as Kol walked towards Jeremy.

"Now, about that arm." Kol said, grabbing a groaning Jeremy by the leg and pulling him down the stairs and into the kitchen.

I tried to pull out the make shift stake but it was stuck in the wall. I put my hands on the wall behind me and pushed against it, walking forward so the stake would go through me. As soon as I was free I ran down stairs just in time to see Kol bringing a butcher knife down to Jeremy's arm. I quickly pushed Kol away from Jeremy and grabbed the knife Kol was holding, using it to stab him in the chest, a few inches from his heart before holding him against the counter. I saw Jeremy grab the extendable tap from the sink and moved out of the way as he started spraying Kol with the vervain laced water. I grabbed the white oak stake from Kol's jacket pocket as his skin began to burn.

"Jeremy, now!" I shouted as I threw the stake to him.

I watched as Jeremy shoved the stake into Kol's heart and backed away as Kol began to scream. Kol suddenly burst into flames just like Michael had after Klaus had staked him at the Homecoming Dance. I stepped in front of Jeremy as Kol took a few steps forward before falling down. I shared a look with Jeremy as the fire slowly began to die down. We did it. We had actually killed Kol.

"What did you do?" Jeremy and I looked up and saw Klaus standing in the doorway, glaring at us murderously

"We didn't have a choice, Klaus." I said calmly even though I knew we were screwed, "He was trying to cut off Jeremy's arm."

"Lies." Klaus barked, "He never would have gotten inside if you didn't set a trap for him."

"You said you were going to put him down too." I replied, looking for a way to get Jeremy and Elena out of here without them getting killed. I had to admit, the odds were not in my favor.

"I was going to make him suffer on my terms!" Klaus yelled, trying to get into the house but stopping when he hit the barrier "I'm going to burn this house to the ground. And then, when you try to flee for your lives, I'll kill you, Jeremy, and Elena without even blinking."

"You kill us, you'll never get to the cure." Jeremy pointed out but the Original didn't seemed fazed by this at all, "You'll never be able to make any more hybrids."

"You really think I care about my bloody hybrids?" Klaus asked, "I want it so I can destroy it. I would have killed you all the second we dug it up. But now, I'm just going to watch you burn instead."

As Klaus was talking I heard Bonnie coming towards the house. I knew that I had to do something because Klaus would kill her as soon as he noticed she was there. I focused all my attention back on Klaus and within moments I heard the sound of bones breaking and he screamed before falling to the ground. Bonnie looked down at Klaus in shock before stepping around him and walking into the house.

"Invite him in, Jeremy." Bonnie ordered him

"Are you insane?" I asked the witch without looking away from Klaus, "The minute he gets inside he will kill all of us."

"Do it!" Bonnie snapped and Jeremy nodded before saying, "Come in."

"Audrey, you gotta let him go." Bonnie told me, realizing that I was the reason Klaus was still on the ground, "Trust me. Let him go and go into the living room."

I looked down at Klaus once more before running into the living room after Jeremy. I heard Klaus growl as he quickly got to his feet and followed us. I turned around when we had gotten into the kitchen and saw Klaus run into an invisible barrier that Bonnie must have put up.

"Witch, you can't do this to me." Klaus shouted at Bonnie as she stood next to Jeremy

"You have no idea what I can do now." Bonnie told him, taking a few steps toward the barrier

"I will hunt all of you to your end!" Klaus yelled, "Do you hear me? Do you?"

I turned to the charred remains of Kol and grabbed the white oak stake before handing it to Jeremy.

"Take this and both of you go out to my car." I told them and Bonnie headed over to the door

"What about Elena?" Jeremy asked, finally noticing that Elena had never made it downstairs

"She's fine, Jeremy." I assured him, "Go outside with Bonnie and I'll go get her."

Jeremy nodded before walking out of the house and I bolted upstairs into Jeremy's room. I picked up Elena, who was still unconscious, carefully so I didn't mess up her broken wrist anymore than it already was. I decided that it was probably best to heal her far away from the house as possible. I walked down the stairs slowly and headed toward the front door.

"I'm gonna kill them all you know." Klaus spoke up, stopping me in my tracks, "Elena, Jeremy, Damon, and everyone else that you have ever cared about. I'm going to kill them all and then…"

"Let me guess." I cut him off, turning to face him again, "Then you're gonna hunt me down and kill me. I've heard this all before Klaus."

"That's where you're wrong, Audrey." Klaus said in an eerily calm voice, "Then I am going to hunt you down and tell you exactly how I killed them but I'm going to let you live out the rest of you miserable life, eternal or not, knowing that you were the reason that every one you loved is dead. So, enjoy these next few days with them because you won't have many left with them."

"You're the one who's time is limited, Klaus." I told him, "Because I will find this cure and the first thing I am going to do is shove it down your throat. And when you're human again, I am going to rip out your heart."

I didn't give Klaus time to respond before walking out of the house.

* * *

We made it back to the boarding house in record time and I moved Elena onto the living room couch before giving her my blood. It didn't take long for her to wake up and I had Jeremy and Bonnie fill her in so I could change out of my now ruined shirt. When I walked back into the living room, Jeremy was pacing back and forth across in front of the fire place, looking down at his bare arm.

"It didn't work." Jeremy panicked

"It will work, Jeremy." I said walking over to the couch that Elena and Bonnie were sitting on, "It took time for Finn's line to die off. So, just give it some time."

"Where's that Gilbert optimism?" I couldn't help but smile when Damon came into the room and made his way over to me, "Sorry I missed all the excitement."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him slowly, pulling away reluctantly a few moments later.

"Maybe I should get locked up more often." Damon mused with a smirk and I punched him in the arm.

"Oh, shut up." I said with a smile, "I'm just really happy to see you again."

The door opened and I turned to see Aurora and Stefan walk into the room, the latter carrying Silas's tombstone.

"Looks like I didn't miss much." Stefan said as I let go of Damon, "Got Silas's headstone."

"We're just waiting for Jeremy's mark to grow." I told him as he set the tombstone down on one of the side tables, "Klaus is trapped in our living room."

"Temporarily." Bonnie clarified, "I drew on the new moon to bind the spell. We have three days to find that cure. Four max."

"If we don't, we might as well look up Katherine Peirce and see if she wants some company in hiding." Jeremy said, "Cause he will come after us."

"Neither option really sounds pleasant at all ,actually." I said and Damon chuckled

"Well find it." Elena said, ignoring my comment, "Now that we got Rebekah taken care of, all we need is professor Shane, and then, well have everything we need."

I looked at Stefan and saw him look down awkwardly before replying, "Yeah, I didn't uh…I didn't dagger her."

"What?" Elena asked angrily, getting to her feet, "Why not?"

"I didn't need to; she's on our side." Stefan tried to explain but Elena wasn't having it

"On our side? Did you really just say that?" Elena said in shock

"Elena, stop it." I warned her, hoping things wouldn't get blown out of proportion

"Yeah, she handed over the headstone." Stefan replied to Elena, "I mean, she wants to find this cure more than any of us."

"Stefan, just shut up while you're ahead." I told him

"No, Audrey, let him talk." Elena said to me before addressing Stefan again, "Why would you possibly think that we could trust her?"

"Let me guess, she pledged her allegiance to you while you were naked in the sack." Damon said and I looked over at Elena to see her pale before she stormed out of the room with Bonnie right behind her

"I bet you were just dying to get that out, weren't you Damon?" Stefan asked his brother

"Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?" Damon retorted, "Maybe you should have made that a little clearer while you were bleeding me dry in the cellar."

"That's enough!" I snapped at the brothers, "Both of you need to stop it."

"Why don't you tell her to calm down, Damon?" Stefan said to Damon, pissing me off in the process, "You've managed to use that sire bond pretty well so far, haven't you?"

I glared at Stefan and he flew back a few feet before hitting the wall behind him. He tried to get free but something was holding him back.

"I said that's enough, Stefan." I said coolly, walking up to him, "You know what? I am sick and tired of you continually bringing up the sire bond. Here I am, trying to be understanding of whatever the hell you have going on with Rebekah and Elena, and every chance you get you tear down my relationship with Damon. I'm trying to be a good friend but you're making it really difficult. So, either you stop with the sire bond jabs or we're done. And trust me when I say that you do not want to be on my bad side."

"Audrey." Aurora said calmly, putting a hand on my shoulder

"Don't worry, Aurora. I'm not going to hurt him." I told her, keeping my attention on Stefan, "I just want him to know what I'm capable of while he thinks about his next move."

Suddenly Jeremy screamed and I whirled around to look at him as he ripped off his shirt. I barely registered the sound of Stefan falling to the ground before quickly getting back to his feet as I watched Jeremy's tattoo start to form across his arms and chest.

"It's happening." Jeremy said, stating the obvious. He looked up at the shocked looks on our faces and asked, "Can you guys see it?"

I nodded not exactly sure what to say.

"Here we go." Damon said and I instantly knew that we had an interesting few days ahead of us.

* * *

**Author's Note**

Well. there you go. Once again, I apologize for the spotty updates lately. Please review. Until next time...

Audrey;D


	13. There Will Be Blood

_**Disclaimer- *looks around room* Nope, Damon is still nowhere in sight which can only mean one thing, I do not own the Vampire Diaries. I do, however, own Audrey and anything else you don't recognize.**_

**Chapter Thirteen- There Will Be Blood**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

I headed upstairs to talk to Elena after Jeremy's mark was complete. I found her and Bonnie in my old room, when I walked in I saw that they were both sitting on the bed, finishing up their conversation.

"Hey, Bonnie, Jeremy's mark is done so you should probably call Shane and tell him that we're ready." I told the witch and she looked at Elena once more before getting off the bed and heading out of the room.

I made my way to the bed and sat down in the spot Bonnie had been sitting a few moments before. Elena didn't say anything after a minute so I decided break the silence that had quickly filled the room.

"I'm sorry about Damon." I said, not really sure how to start, but she didn't look at me, "You shouldn't of found out that way, that was wrong of him."

"Did you know?" Elena asked, turning to look me in the eyes, "Did you know that Stefan was with Rebekah?"

"I had no idea how together they were but I knew something was going on between them." I watched Elena closely as I spoke and I saw a look of betrayal cross her features before she turned away from me

"I think you should leave." She told me

"Elena, just let me explain…" I started but she cut me off quickly

"What's there to explain, Audrey?" Elena shouted as she turned to look at me again, her sudden outburst catching me off guard, "You knew about Stefan and you just let me sit there like an idiot. At least Damon had the decency to tell me, you just stood there like you didn't give a damn about me."

I listened to her, trying to my best to keep calm because the last thing this situation needed was me snapping at her. So I just sat there and took the accusations, feeling the guilt I deserved build up.

"Elena, we're family, or course I care about you." Even as the words let my mouth I knew saying them was a mistake

"Seriously, you're gonna use the family card right now?" Elena asked in utter disbelief, "You know what, it doesn't even matter, just get out."

"Elena…" I tried in one last attempted to get her to listen to me but I could already tell that it wasn't going to work

"No, Audrey, I don't want to hear it, just get out." She said again

I sighed, getting to my feet and walking to the door. I looked back at her once more to see that she had her back to me now. I sighed again as I grabbed the door handle and pulled the door shut knowing that Elena wanted to be left alone. I walked down the hallway to mine and Damon's room so I could start packing for our trip to get the cure. I walked into the empty room and over to the closet. I found a spare bag and started filling it with a few necessities as my mind started to wander off. So much was going on right now, it was just ridiculous. All this pressure on Jeremy to kill vampires just to get some stupid map, the endless drama of Stefan and Elena, whatever the hell was going on with me, and to top it all off, this Easter egg hunt for the cure that I wasn't even sure I wanted anymore. It was just too much all at one time and it was putting me over the edge. I couldn't let it show though because I had to be the strong one, the one that kept everyone together and stopped them from killing each other, but it was starting to take its toll on me.

"How'd your talk with Elena go?" I jumped slightly when I heard Damon's voice because I had been so wrapped up in my thoughts that I hadn't heard him come in.

"Don't pretend like you weren't listening to us." I said as I set my bag down and turned to look at Damon who was leaning against the door frame, "It's not like Elena was being quiet about it."

"She'll get over it eventually, you know." he assured me while moving away from the door and walking up to me

"Honestly, if Elena was my biggest problem right now I would be overjoyed." I sighed, running a hand through my hair. Elena and her normal teenage drama I could handle. The possible rise of an immortal bent on bringing Hell on Earth? Not so much, "Did Bonnie get a hold of Shane?"

"Yeah, the shady professor said that it will take two days to get everything ready." Damon said, looking at me as if he was expecting the new news to set me off in some way, "I offered to use compulsion to speed up the process but he refused."

"Okay, fine." I shrugged before waking back over to the closet, Damon's eyes still on me

"That's it?" Damon asked in disbelief, " 'Okay, fine'?"

"Yep." I replied lamely as I grabbed a pair of gray sweatpants and a black camisole and quickly changed into them

"You're being extremely calm about this especially since that only gives us two days max to get to wherever the hell the cure is hidden, find it, and get back before Klaus is free again." Damon sighed as I walked passed him

"There isn't anything I can do about it right now, Damon." I told him, walking over to the bed and pulling back the comforter, "And honestly, I am too tired to deal with it. So, I am going to get some sleep and then I will worry about it tomorrow. You are more than welcome to join me or you can just continue with your worrying."

With that I slid into bed and closed my eyes as I laid my head down on the pillows. I could feel Damon's eyes still on me but I just ignored in until I heard him sigh a few moments later. I opened my eyes when I felt the bed shift under me and watched as Damon laid down next to me.

"Smart choice." I smiled, reaching over him to turn off the bedside lamp but before I could get to it, Damon grabbed me by the waist and flipped me over so he was hovering over me, "Damon, come on, I'm tired."

"You can go to sleep as soon as you explain what happened with Stefan?" Of course Damon had to ask the one question I was trying to avoid until at least tomorrow. I knew I would have had to tell him sooner or later but I was really hoping for later.

"I honestly have no idea, Damon." I sighed, "All I know is that ever since the night of Carol's memorial I've been able to do things that I couldn't before."

"Well that's incredibly vague." Damon commented, I was really wishing he would drop it but I had known him long enough to know that I wasn't gonna get off that easy

"You saw what happened Damon!" I snapped before taking a deep breath to calm myself down, "I sent Stefan flying into a wall because he pissed me off. And the other night I broke your neck because you were going to kill Jeremy. It's not like I did it on purpose either, it just happened."

"So you're telling me that whatever this is came out of nowhere and you can't control it?" Damon asked warily, I didn't blame him for it either. Neither of us really needed another thing to worry about.

"Pretty much." I sighed

Damon looked down at me for a few seconds. Without a word he rolled off of me and onto his back. I stared at the ceiling, waiting for him to respond.

"Well, I guess we can file that under 'things to worry about tomorrow' then." Damon replied calmly.

He wasn't freaking out about my new abilities so that's something. I turned to look at him to see if his face was giving him away but if he was freaking out about it, then he was hiding it pretty well. I repositioned myself so I was laying with my head on his chest, deciding that I would just deal with it in the morning.

"Fine by me." I yawned, the exhaustion that I had been feeling for the last few days was crashing down on me. I let my eyes close and in no time I was asleep.

* * *

**Third Person P.O.V**

Elena had been sitting by herself for some time now and had yet to calm down. She was angry, mostly at Stefan but also at Audrey. She had known what was going on with Stefan and Rebekah and hadn't said a thing to her. Elena couldn't believe her cousin. I mean, they were family, they weren't supposed to keep secrets like this from each other.

Elena also hated the fact that she was stuck in the boarding house with the two people she was pissed off with. It was suffocating her. She got up from the bed she had been occupying and headed over to the door quietly. Although, if any of the vampires in the house were awake then they most likely would have been able to hear her. She opened up the door and made her way down the stairs toward the doors that lead to the back balcony. She assumed that everyone else at the boarding house was asleep since she didn't run into a single person on the way out.

She moved forward toward the railing of the balcony and looked up at the star filled sky, breathing in the cool night air. It was almost hard for her to believe that only hours earlier Kol had tried to kill her, Jeremy, and Audrey. Everything was so calm and peaceful, two things that were very rare in Mystic Falls. Elena looked at the vast backyard in front of her when she heard something move. She dismissed it as an animal because she knew she was safe. Kol was dead and Klaus was stuck for a few days. Plus, anyone that was a danger to her wouldn't be stupid enough to attack a boarding house full of vampires.

"Well, you made this way to easy." Elena's blood ran cold when she heard her own voice and spun around to face her vampire doppelgänger. Unfortunately she didn't even have enough time to regret her decision to come out here on her own before Katherine charged at her and snapped her neck.

Katherine smirked down at her now dead doppelgänger. When she had come to the boarding house she had only hoped on getting some more information about where the cure might be. She had never dreamed that she would have been able to finally get ride of her dull as dishwater doppelgänger. And it was so easy. Although, it being so easy kind of took the fun out of it, but at least she didn't have to deal with Elena anymore. Katherine looked down at Elena for a few more moments, enjoying those few moments immensely, before she sped off. She really didn't need Stefan, Damon, or Audrey knowing that she had ended their precious Elena's life. Sure she was good at running but she was sure that having a psychic on her tail would not be enjoyable in the least. And as long as she stayed far enough away from them they would never blame her for Elena's untimely demise.

* * *

**Audrey's P.O.V**

My eyes fluttered open as sunlight poured through the open windows and onto the bed. I stretched out slowly, careful not to wake up Damon who was still sound asleep, before sitting up and checking the time and seeing that it was almost eight. I felt much better after a good night's sleep. Unfortunately that meant that I had to face everything that I had been trying to avoid the night before. I took a deep breath before quietly walking over to the closet to grab a change of clothes and heading into the bathroom to take a shower.

When I was done I changed into a pair of black skinny jeans, a purple v-neck t-shirt, and black flats. I walked back into the room and saw that Damon was still sleeping.

"Damon, wake up." I called out as I walked over to the side of the bed. I rolled my eyes when he didn't move at all. I crossed my arms before trying again, "Seriously Damon, we both know you're a light sleeper. Get up." Nothing. He was probably just hoping I would give up so he could get a few more minutes of beauty sleep. I was suddenly struck with an idea and smirked as I slipped out of my flats before moving back onto the bed, sitting next to Damon.

"Last chance to get up willingly, Damon." I warned him. I saw his lip twitch upward slightly and knew he was just screwing with me now. "Fine, but remember, you asked for this." I added before pushing Damon off of the bed and onto the ground

"Ow!" Damon groaned, which immediately set me off and I began to laugh uncontrollably. I laughed even harder when I saw Damon get up and glare at me. I was too busy laughing to move out of the way when Damon jumped at me and pinned me down on the bed. It took a few more minutes for my laughter to die down and by then Damon didn't seem too mad.

"That was unnecessary." Damon said with a faltering scowl

"Please," I began, flipping us over as I spoke then readjusting myself so I was straddling Damon's waist, "I gave you the chance to get up by yourself but you didn't."

"Couldn't you have just let me sleep." Damon whined

"Nope." I replied, popping the 'p', "If I have to get up then so do you."

I tried to make my way off of Damon but when he figured out what I was doing he pulled me down so I was laying on top of him and he wrapped his arms around my waist. Before I could say anything he brought his lips to mine. Our lips moved in sync for a few minutes but all the while I was having an internal dilemma. I knew that I had to go and deal with Elena drama and the Cure but all I wanted to do was spend the day in bed with Damon. I was momentarily pulled out of my thoughts by Damon taking off his shirt. I saw Damon smirk as I hungrily looked down at his toned chest. I guess I could procrastinate for a little while longer. I quickly ripped off my shirt before bringing my lips back to Damon's. Damon flipped us over again and started to kiss down my neck and collar bone, my back arching in response. I felt Damon's hand moving towards my jeans and immediately flipped us back over so I was straddling his waist again, knowing that if I let this go on any longer I would be stuck in bed all day.

"As much as it pains me to say this, and it does, we have to get dressed and deal with everything I was avoiding last night." I told him breathlessly, causing him to groan

This time I moved off of the bed without getting stopped. I put my shirt back on and turned to look at myself in the mirror to make sure that I looked appropriate. After I had fixed my hair and put my flats back on I looked back at Damon who was still lounging on the bed without his shirt.

"I'm going downstairs to get a blood bag. Please be dressed by the time I get back." I told him before walking out of the room.

As I walked downstairs to the basement, I noticed that the house was pretty quiet. It sounded like Damon and I were the only ones awake, which was fine by me because that gave me at least a few minutes of downtime before the drama started. I grabbed a blood bag from the fridge in the basement and tore it open, drinking the contents in seconds. I realized that I couldn't even remember the last time that I had actually had any blood. I really needed to start taking better care of myself. I grabbed a few more bags to throw into the fridge in the kitchen so I wouldn't have to keep going into the basement. I walked back upstairs and almost made it to the kitchen when I heard a loud gasp coming from the back balcony. I set the blood bags down on a small side table before heading out to the balcony where I saw Elena sitting on the ground, rubbing her neck.

"Elena, what the hell are you doing out here?" I asked as I bent down to her level

"I came out here to get some fresh air…" Elena told me, looking around in confusion, "What time is it?"

" Just after nine." I informed her as I looked down at the clock on my phone, "How long have you been out here?"

"Nine? No, no, that can't be right." Elena mumbled as she continued to rub her neck, "It was two in the morning."

"Come on." I said as I helped Elena get to her feet. I was starting to get a really bad feeling. Elena really wasn't the type of person to just black out for seven hours, or fall asleep on the balcony ground, "How do you feel, Elena."

"Why?" she questioned, moving her hand from her neck to block her eyes from the sun

"Just answer the question." I pressed, I was trying my best to keep calm but I could tell that something was wrong

"My head is killing me and the sun is bothering my eyes." Elena groaned as I lead her into the parlor

"What happened last night after I left?" I asked, hoping that I would be able to get an explanation out of her

"I told you, I went outside to get some fresh air." Elena told me, but the frustrated look on her face made it clear that she was trying to remember what else had happened

"After that, Elena, what happened after that?" I snapped, I was beginning to get frustrated myself because I couldn't help Elena if I didn't know what was wrong with her

I heard a door down the hallway open and close, followed moments later by Jeremy joining us in the parlor.

"What's going on?" He asked groggily

"Not right now, Jeremy." I told him before turning my attention back on Elena, although it seemed that she was entirely focused on Jeremy

"Audrey, what is that sound?" She asked as she continued to stare at Jeremy

My blood ran cold when she said this because I knew exactly what she was talking about. It was by far the loudest noise in the room but Elena shouldn't have been able to hear it. Jeremy's heartbeat. There was only one way she would be able to hear it, she was in transition.

"Jeremy, go get Bonnie." I told my younger cousin .

"Audrey, what the hell is going on?" Jeremy questioned, confusion written all over his face

"Go get Bonnie, now." I repeated sternly and I watched as he cautiously walked out of the room

When he was gone I turned back to Elena to she that she was beginning to tear up, most likely realizing what she was hearing.

"That was his heart." Elena said shakily, "How could I…how could I hear his heart? Audrey, what is happening to me?"

I watched as a look of remembrance crossed Elena's features followed by the tears to start streaming down her face.

"Damon! Stefan!" I called out and within seconds both Salvatore brothers were standing in front of me. The looks on mine and Elena's faces told them that what they had just walked into was not going to end well.

"I'm so sorry, Elena." I apologized as I turned back to face her again

"What is it?" Stefan asked as he made his way over to Elena

"She's in transition, Stefan." I told him solemnly

"No." he whispered, turning back to Elena only to come to the same conclusion I had moments earlier

"I was outside and I heard a noise." Elena recalled through tears just as Jeremy walked back into the room with Bonnie, "I didn't think anything of it but then I heard it again. I turned around and…and…she killed me. Oh my, God. I'm dead."

"She who?" Stefan asked, trying to find the answer I had been trying to get from her for the last few minutes

"Katherine. It was Katherine." Elena finally answered

My hands balled into fists at my sides when I heard the doppelgänger name. I turned to look at the table lined with bottles of alcohol next to me when I heard the bottles rattling. I was getting too emotional and I knew that if I didn't get out of here I could hurt someone. As Stefan tried to comfort Elena, I made my way out of the room, almost hitting Aurora as she came in. I heard Damon following me but just continued down the hallway and out the front door. I didn't stop until I was standing in the front lawn, a fair distance away from the boarding house.

"Why?" I asked as I turned around to face Damon, " I mean, Katherine had to have known that Klaus was still in town. So why would she risk her own life to kill Elena? It doesn't make any sense."

"I stopped trying to figure out why Katherine does anything a long time ago." Damon replied, "But, Audrey, There's a more pressing issue going on right now."

"You don't think I know that, Damon?" I snapped at him, "Who do you thing gave her the vampire blood?" Damon didn't say a word so I continued, "I was hoping that she would be safe here with four vampires around and the blood would just pass out of her system. One day was all she needed but no, that doppelgänger bitch killed her. And now she doesn't even have a choice, she has to finish the transition."

We stood there in silence for a few moments because we both knew what Elena was going through. Neither of us had chosen to be vampires either, it was forced on us. At least Elena wouldn't have to be a vampire for long, so long as we found the cure.

"We have to get that cure, Damon." I spoke up, breaking the silence

"We will." Damon assured me, taking a step forward, "But right now, Elena needs you to help her get through this."

"I know." I said, taking a deep breath. If I was gonna help Elena I was gonna have to keep it together, "Okay, come on." I added and we both headed back towards the house.

* * *

When we reached the living room, it seemed as if Elena had calmed down slightly and she was now sitting on one of the couches with Stefan and Aurora. Bonnie and Jeremy were standing near the door Damon and I had just came though so I went to them first.

"Bonnie, I need you to make another daylight ring," I told her as soon as I was standing in front of her

"Okay but it's gonna take some time because I have to get everything from my house.' She informed me

"You can take my car." I said, grabbing my keys from the key bowl and handing them to her. I looked at Jeremy and knew that it was best that he wasn't here when Elena turned. Not only would she be blood thirsty but he was also a Hunter whose instinct was to kill vampires, "Bring Jeremy with you, too."

Bonnie and Jeremy nodded before heading out of the house. I walked over to the couch and looked at Stefan.

"Stefan, I need you to run to the hospital, we're running low on blood bags." I ordered him. It seemed that he was going to argue with me but he looked at Elena for a moment before he stood up and reluctantly walked out of the room, knowing that Elena was going to need the blood.

As he left the room I walked over to the table where I had set down the extra blood bags and grabbed one of them as well as a glass from the table where we kept a majority of the alcohol. With both in hand I headed back to Elena and took a seat in front of her.

"I can't be a vampire, Audrey." Elena told me, looking down at the blood bag in my hand

"You won't be for long." I assured her while opening up the blood bag and pouring some of the blood into the glass, "In a few days we'll have the cure and you will be human again. But you have to finish the transition, Elena, or you will die." Elena looked down at the glass of blood hungrily but didn't take it, trying to decide what she should do.

"Elena." Aurora said, getting Elena to look at her, "You and Audrey are all that Jeremy has left. Think about what's going to happen to him if you choose to die instead of turning."

Aurora was smart and I knew that she knew how low of a blow that was. She also knew how effective it was going to be because a second later Elena turned back to me and stuck her hand out for the glass and I handed it over to her. I watched as she slowly began to drink the blood but about halfway through she downed the rest of it. Black and blue veins appeared under her eyes as she grabbed the blood bag out of my hand and finished it. I looked up at Damon, who had moved to stand behind the couch where Elena and Aurora were sitting, for a moment before back at Elena. I watched my cousin warily and knew that the next few days were going to be anything but easy.

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Well, I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter but it had to be done for what I have planned for future chapters. Once again I would like to thank all of you wonderful people for reading,reviewing, favoriting, and alerting. It means a lot that you guys are enjoying it. Hopefully the next chapter won't take too long but I make no promises what with work and Fourth of July where I am forced to be social and hang out with my family. Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed. Until next time…**

**Audrey ;D**


	14. Into The Wild

_**Disclaimer- I do not own the Vampire Diaries. I do, however, own Audrey and anything else you don't recognize.**_

**Chapter Fourteen-Into The Wild**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

For the last two days Aurora and I had been helping Elena adjust to life as a vampire. She was assimilating rather well given how freaked out she had been when she had first turned. It was easy enough to get her to drink from the blood bags since she refused to drink from people and was too pissed off at Stefan to accept his offer of helping her hunt animals. Bonnie was able to get her a daylight ring pretty quickly so the sun wasn't an issue in the least. I thought for sure that getting Elena and Jeremy in the same room together without either of them trying to attack each other was going to be the biggest problem. Much to my surprise Elena was able to control her hunger and Jeremy was able to control his urge to hunt any and all vampires around him. The only real problem I was having with Elena was her constant mood swings do to her heightened emotions but I was pretty sure I could handle that.

Since I had been so busy with Elena for the last two days, I was rushing to get everything ready for out trip to get the cure. I had just finished getting dressed in a pair of denim skinny jeans, a black v-neck, and my black converses and was now running around mine and Damon's room at top vampire speed, trying to finish up my packing.

"Audrey?" I heard someone call just as I was about to finish and I immediately stopped in my tracks. I turned towards the direction of the voice and saw that it was Aurora.

"Oh, hey Aurora, what is it?" I asked as I put one last thing in my bag and zipped it up

"Bonnie wanted me to tell you that Shane is on his way." Aurora told me as I threw my bag over my shoulder and grabbed my leather jacket from off of the bed.

"Good, the sooner we get this cure the better." I said as we walked out of the room and down the hallway, "I just hope we can get back here with it before Klaus gets free and starts hunting us all down. Speaking of which are you absolutely sure you want to stay here?"

"I'm sure. There are already enough people going and you'll have your hands full with Elena." Aurora replied, reminding me that Elena had insisted on going to find the cure. I had tried to get her to stay in Mystic Falls but she would not let up. "Plus, someone has to stay here and watch Klaus."

I remained silent for the rest of our walk to the front door, Klaus's threat from a few days before running through my head. I knew if I didn't get the cure in time Klaus was going to start killing off the people I loved and I could not let that happen. I was worried about my friend being so close to the Original but at the same time I knew that she was smart enough to get the hell out of dodge if he got free. We both paused at the doorway and I saw everyone packing their things into mine and Damon's cars. I turned back to Aurora and gave her a quick hug which was a little difficult with the big bag I was carrying.

"Be careful." I told her as I pulled back

"Please, I'll be fine." Aurora told me with a wave of her hands, "Good luck with finding the cure."

"Thanks." I said, turning back to see Shane pulling into the driveway, "See you in a few days."

I waved to Aurora as she headed back into the boarding house and took a deep breath before joining the others. I threw my bag in the trunk of Damon's Camaro and set my jacket down in the passengers seat. I leant against the car and crossed my arms across my chest as I looked at our group. Shane, Bonnie, Jeremy and Elena were talking to each other about the cure, Stefan and Rebekah (who Stefan had invited, much to Elena's chagrin) were discussing the tombstone and out of the corner of my eye I saw Damon finish putting things in the trunk. I heard the trunk slam shut and, a few seconds later, Damon was standing next to me.

"I see that you're about as excited about this trip as I am." Damon said upon seeing the look on my face

"Yeah, I'm not too enthusiastic about being around Rebekah and Elena right now." I told Damon quietly so only he could hear. I had only been watching the two girls for like two minutes and most of that time they had spent glaring at each other, "It looks like they're going to rip out each other's hearts the first chance they get."

"Let's not forget the shady ass professor." Damon added and we both looked toward Shane, "I don't trust that guy at all."

"You and me both." I agreed, something was clearly up with the guy but I could not figure out what, "Well, we better get this show on the road." Damon groaned as I turned to address the rest of the group, "Okay guys, we're on a tight schedule so we should probably get going."

"She's right." Shane spoke up, "We have a plane to catch."

Well that's just fantastic, not like we had a freshly turned vampire with us or anything. Then again, Elena had been pretty restrained around Shane, Bonnie, and Jeremy so maybe she would do okay on a plane. I didn't particularly want to test it out on a plane miles up in the air but I guess I didn't really have a choice.

"Alright then." I said as I grabbed my car keys from my pocket, "Bonnie, you can drive my car and take Shane, Rebekah, and Stefan with you." I told the witch, throwing my keys into her waiting hands, "The rest of us will take Damon's car and meet you at the airport."

I heard a few mumbles of agreement as everyone got into their designated car. As we drove away from the boarding house all I could do was hope that nothing catastrophic would happen while we were getting the cure.

* * *

After a short drive to the airport, a three hour flight, and an hour long boat ride, we had finally made it to where Shane said the cure would be. Downside was that it was some creepy deserted island. Shane still hadn't told us where we were exactly but from what I could tell it was somewhere off the coast of Canada. I guess if you were gonna hide a millennia's old immortal and the cure to vampirism this was the best place to do it. After everything had been unloaded from the boats, everyone broke off into their own little groups again. Shane had wandered off down the beach, Jeremy and Bonnie went off to take pictures of the Hunter's mark, Rebekah, Stefan, and Elena were tying up the boats so they wouldn't be taken out to sea. Meanwhile, Damon and I had moved down the beach to sharpen our weapons, which we had compelled through customs. I had just finished sharpening my machete and was about to put it in it sheath when Damon spoke up.

"Where the hell did you get that thing?" he asked, beginning to sharpen his own knife

"Found it in Alaric's apartment when he was teaching me vampire self-defense." I explained as I put it away and clipped the hole thing to my jeans, "He said I could have it."

Damon smirked at this and went back to sharpening the knife. A few moments later I heard footsteps and looked over to see Shane walking up to us.

"Couldn't they have hidden the cure in Hawaii?" Damon asked Shane without looking up from what he was doing, "Where the hell did you take us?"

"Two hundred miles off the Nova Scotia mainland." Shane told him, confirming my earlier assumption. Well, at least it wasn't snowing, "As you recall, the whole point was to hide the cure on the world's most obscure, desolate island."

"Wait, you're trying to tell me that the world's most obscure island is in Canada? Seriously?" Damon chuckled at my comment as he put away his knife and Shane just smiled, "Plus, I thought the whole point was that no one woke up Silas so he could unleash Hell on Earth."

"Yeah, that too." Shane answered simply, not fazed at all by what I had said. Shane then held a bottle of sunscreen toward Damon and I, "Sunscreen?"

Damon and I shared a look, trying to figure out if Shane was kidding or not, before turning back to the Professor.

"Is that a joke?" Damon asked him incredulously

"Right." Shane said, finally realizing that he had just asked two vampires if they needed sunscreen, "Well, I'm going to go see how Bonnie and Jeremy are coming along with the map." he added awkwardly before walking off

"Shady." I said in a singsong voice as Shane walked away and Damon nodded before he started sharpening another blade

"You know you're not really helping." I heard Stefan say and I turned to see that he was talking Rebekah while she glared at Elena as the doppelganger walked a few feet in front of the Original.

"You are perfectly capable of tying a knot." Rebekah retorted as she continued to glare at Elena

"You giving Elena the evil eye, it's not really helping." Stefan clarified

"She helped to kill two of my brothers and tried to get you to put a dagger in my back." She reminded Stefan although the latter wasn't really true, "She's lucky all she's getting is the evil eye."

"You know I can hear you, right?" Elena asked as she stopped walking

I set my bag down next to me realizing that I was most likely going to have to step in. I really hoped Elena wasn't gonna do anything but knew that her emotions where heightened so it wasn't looking to good.

"You know I don't care, right?" Rebekah told her in an excessively bitchy tone

I saw anger flash across Elena's face before she turned around and charged at Rebekah. I caught a glimpse of the white oak stake as Elena turned around and ran across the beach with vampire speed, positioning myself between Elena and Rebekah. Elena stopped in her tracks and I easily grabbed the stake out of her hands.

"Would both of you knock it off." I snapped at them

"Go ahead." Rebekah addressed Elena as if I hadn't spoken, "Try and kill me. But then you'd have to face your real problems. Like the fact that Stefan invited me here himself. I guess he likes me again."

"Hey Rebekah, I'm the one that killed Finn and Kol and I'm the one that tried to convince Stefan to dagger you. So if you wanna be pissed at someone, be pissed at me." I said to Rebekah, turning to look her straight in the eyes. She glared at me for a few moments before stomping off. When she was gone I turned my attention back to Elena, "And you, stop glaring at her and trying to kill her. You only have to deal with her for a few more days and then you won't have to see her ever again." Elena didn't say a word before she walked off in the direction opposite of where Rebekah had gone.

"Thanks." Stefan spoke up

"I didn't do it for you, Stefan." I said, turning toward him, "But why don't you do us all a favor and figure out whatever the hell you have going on with Rebekah and Elena because it is getting a little out of hand."

With that I turned on my heel and headed back over to where Damon was now standing and holding my bag.

"You know, it's hot when you take control like that." Damon said with a smirk as I took my bag and flung it back over my shoulder

"Oh, my God. You are ridiculous." I laughed which was weird since I had been so pissed off a few seconds before. Then again it was Damon and he always had a way of cheering me up

As I looked up at Damon, I couldn't help but wonder if the cure was really worth it. I had been thinking about whether or not I would take it, if given the choice, for the last two days and now that I was so close I wasn't sure if I wanted it. If I took it then what? I would be human and Damon would still be a vampire. I loved him and wanted to spend all the time I could with him. So what was the point of taking the cure if I already had what I wanted?

"Come on guys, we have a long hike ahead of us." Shane shouted, pulling me out of my thoughts

"Wonderful." I groaned which made Damon chuckled as we followed Shane into the woods.

* * *

We had been walking for a while and the sun was already beginning to set, our chance of finding the cure today sinking with it. Damon had decided to walk next to Shane to keep a close eye on the shady professor. I was walking along side Elena, Rebekah and Stefan, directly behind Damon, and Bonnie and Jeremy stood farther off behind the group.

"The satellite phone lost its signal." Shane spoke up as he examined the beeping phone

"Well, that's a good sign." Damon said and I scoffed at the heavy sarcasm in his voice

"Is anyone else a little creeped out by this place?" Elena asked as she looked around the dense forest

"So then leave." Rebekah told her, causing me to roll my eyes at the blond. Apparently it was too much to ask for them to be civil to each other for five minutes, "Out of everyone here, your presence is the least necessary."

"Please don't start." Stefan said warily, trying to stop the Original

"I'm merely stating the facts." Rebekah continued, "Jeremy has the spell on his body. Bonnie is the witch that unseals the cure. Shane is the human compass. Audrey is a psychic." I was caught off guard when Rebekah mentioned me as being useful and looked at her in slight shock as she finished, "You and I have the tombstone, which does god knows what. And Elena had no point."

"Was that really necessary?" I asked Rebekah

"Not really, no." she replied and I rolled my eyes at her for the second time

"What about me?" Damon asked, sounding offended that he wasn't on Rebekah's list

"I don't know but I am definitely enjoying the view." I told him, shamelessly looking at his behind.

I didn't have to see Damon's face to know that he was smirking. I heard Jeremy groan in disgust a second later which set me off laughing as we continued our hike.

* * *

It had been a few hours and the sun had sun had set on the island, leaving us to walk around in the dark. It didn't seem like that much of a problem though since a majority of us had heightened sight. Still, I was beginning to agree with Elena on this forest being creepy. We still hadn't gotten the full story of the island from Shane but after much prodding from Damon, Shane finally started to spill.

"Centuries after Qetsiyah died, there were these miners who were excavating a well on the island." Shane began, "They suddenly went mad, bleeding themselves dry for no apparent reason. So, the legend spread that these miners, in exchange for a drop of their blood, saw visions of their lost loved ones in the well they were digging. The word traveled and explorers sought out the well to see if the legend was true."

"So, the well was magic." Bonnie summed up

"Well, you know, some people believe the voices of lost souls were just a wind vortex whipping through the caves, and visions were caused by inhaling the island's poisonous plant life." Shane told her in a tone that showed that he clearly did not believe that

"So what do you believe?" I asked him, stopping him in his tracks. He turned around, causing the rest of us to stop walking as well.

"I believe in magic." he said bluntly, "My wife and son died within months of each other. And so…I decided to try the well out for myself. I offered up my blood and waited. It didn't take long before I heard her voice. I began to lower myself down into the well, but as I was rappelling down my rope got stuck. I tried to fix it but while I was working on it the rope snapped and I fell to the bottom of the of the well. I was dazed for a while but when I looked up, I saw her. I saw my wife. I saw her eyes, her smile. My blood let me see her again."

Everyone had remained silent for the duration of Shane's story and I myself found myself understanding why Shane had gone through all the trouble. Having lost as many people as I have, it was easy to see why he would do anything to see his family again. Then again, getting twelve people killed was too much.

"Yeah, got it. Don't eat the poisonous flowers." I had to restrain myself from rolling my eyes at Damon's comment as he started walking again, everyone else following him

As we were walking, something caught my eye. I turned to see a rope that was tied off onto a tree a few feet to my in front of me, which was weird because I was under the impression that we were on some desolate island. I followed the ropes path and saw that it was connected to some kind of net which, if I hadn't been looking for it, I wouldn't have noticed. Unfortunately, Damon was a ways ahead of the rest of us and about to walk right onto the net.

"Wait, Damon, stop!." I shouted, running forward and grabbing him by the arm. It stopped him but it also caused everyone else to look at me like I was insane

I didn't say a word as I pulled out my machete and walked over to the tree where the rope was tied off. I cut through the rope, setting off the trap which went flying up into the air.

"Nice catch, Audrey." Shane said as to me before addressing the rest of the group, "Everyone take this as our first lesson of survival. Stay together and keep your eyes open."

I put my machete back in it's place as Shane started to lead everyone through the forest again, albeit a bit more cautious this time. I managed to catch up with Damon, who didn't seem taken aback at all by the fact that he had almost walked right into a trap. We didn't get to far though because less than a minute later I heard Elena scream Jeremy's name and I turned around in time to see Elena tackle Jeremy to the ground as an arrow flew through the air right where Jeremy had been standing. I ran towards Jeremy and Elena to find out who had just shot an arrow at my cousin but when I got there the guy was laying face first on the ground with a hatchet in his back.

"What the hell just happened?" I asked my cousins as they got back on their feet

"Somebody just saved my life." Jeremy answered as he looked down at the now dead assailant in shock. I groaned internally at the thought, not exactly sure if it was a good or bad thing that Jeremy had some crazy, hatchet flinging savior.

* * *

Not long after Jeremy almost got turned into a hunter kabob, Shane brought us into a clearing where a small shed had been built. I guess this is where we would be setting up camp for the night.

"What is this place?" Stefan spoke up for the first time in a while, looking at Shane for an answer

"According to island lore, a group of college kids came here for spring break." Shane explained, "A few weeks later they were all found dead, completely drained."

"Why the hell they would someone come to a deserted island in Canada for spring break?" I questioned, more to myself than anyone else, "It's like they were asking to be killed."

"Tragic for them, brilliant for us." Rebekah said when I was finished, "Who sleeps where?"

I headed off to set up a tent for the night while Damon stayed behind to argue with Shane, again. I knew it wasn't gonna get him very far since Shane was, unfortunately, the only one who actually knew where the cure was, and if he refused to go any farther for the night there was little we could do.

* * *

It took me awhile but I eventually got the tent all set up, no help from Damon might I add since he had wandered off to talk to Bonnie. When I was all done, I headed inside to unload some things from my bag. I set up a lantern in the corner of the tent before pulling out my sleeping bag. Finally I pulled a bag of s'more ingredients and put it next to the opening of the tent, knowing that Rebekah would come looking for them, I had had a random ass vision about her wanting s'more last night and thought, what the hell, if it got her to be less bitchy then it would benefit me. I lowered myself onto my sleeping bag and brought out my cell phone to see if maybe I could get any service. No dice. I heard footsteps coming toward my tent as I was putting my phone away and looked up as Rebekah popped her head inside.

"Do you have any s'mores?" She asked as if I was her last hope at getting the delicious treat. I looked down at the bag and Rebekah beamed when she saw it, "Thank you." the Original smiled as she grabbed the bag and left.

It was really starting to weird me out how pleasant Rebekah was being to me lately. I guess it was because she was too busy being a bitch to Elena, which was much worse than her being pissed at me because at least then I wouldn't have to stop any fights. I just shrugged it off as I kicked off my shoes and took of my jacket, throwing them both near my bag. I was about to lay down when Damon stormed into the tent and by the look on his face I could tell that someone had pissed him off.

"What now?" I asked, crossing my arms across my chest and waiting for the inevitable bad news

"Apparently Professor Shady's wife was a witch that died using the same crazy ass magic he taught Bonnie." Damon said angrily, "And now he's made her a witch bomb that only he can dismantle."

"You have to be kidding me. I knew something was wrong with this guy but that's just crazy." I groaned, running a had through my hair, "We have to figure out what else Shane knows instead of just following him in blind faith."

"Glad to know that we're on the same page." Damon said, turning to head out of the tent but I grabbed his arm to stop him, "What?"

"You can't go after him now." I told him quietly, hoping that Shane couldn't hear us, "We have to get him when he's not expecting it."

Damon nodded reluctantly as I let go of his arm. I watched him as he dropped his bag to the ground and shrugged out of his coat.

"Are you going be sleeping with that?" Damon asked, looking down at the machete that I hadn't even realized I still had strapped onto my jeans

I rolled my eyes at him in response before taking it off and setting it down next to my bag. I turned off the lantern and laid down on my sleeping bag only to be joined by Damon a few seconds later. I rested my head on Damon's chest and sighed in content when Damon wrapped his arm around my waist. It was good to know that something's never changed, no matter how messed up everything else was.

* * *

_Jeremy was laying his tent, alone, as he tried to fall asleep. He rolled over in an attempt to get comfortable but froze when a shadow past over the tent. He quickly grabbed the flashlight from beside him and pointed it in the direction the shadow had been. He relaxed when he didn't find anything and was about to put the light back down when he heard the sound of someone moving behind him. When he turned around he came face to face with an islander. Jeremy didn't even get the chance to scream before the man covered his mouth and drug him out of the tent without a sound._

I woke up with a jolt after my latest vision, quickly jumping to my feet to see if I could get to Jeremy before the mysterious islander. I heard Damon groan as I grabbed my machete and headed toward the opening of the tent.

"Audrey, what is it?" Damon asked groggily

I didn't answer him as I ran out of the tent and over to where Jeremy's tent was standing. I barged in and looked around the empty tent to see that I was already too late. I heard something behind me and turned around, almost hitting Damon with the machete.

"Woah there." Damon said, putting his hand on the machete and lowering it down, "What's wrong."

"One of the natives took Jeremy." I told him frantically as I moved around him, looking for any sign of where Jeremy had been taken, "JEREMY!"

* * *

After I had woken everyone up with my yelling and told them what I had seen, we all went off in pairs to see if Jeremy and his captor were in any of the places we had already been. Damon and I searched through the woods for a good hour before we headed back to the clearing to see if anyone else had better luck.

"Did you find anything?" Elena asked as soon as she saw us

"Nothing." I told her, running a hand through my hair

"He's not on the trail." Bonnie said as she and Shane entered the clearing

"He's not at the quarry, either." Stefan added from where he stood next to Rebekah

"Let's split up." Damon suggested, although I didn't think the Scooby Doo method was the best plan but I guess we didn't really have that much of a choice

"I'm gonna stay here and try a locator spell." Bonnie told us before walking away

"Okay, I'll stay here and make sure she's safe." Shane spoke up before following after Bonnie

"Damon and I will stay here and make sure you're not lying." I said to Shane as he walked off, getting looks of disbelief from Damon and Elena. The only reason I wanted to stay behind was because I had this feeling that Shane had something to do with Jeremy's abduction

"Fine." Elena bit out as she glared at Rebekah and Stefan, "We'll keep searching the island."

I watched as the trio took off before following after Shane, who had walked into the small shed, with Damon right behind me. As soon as I walked in, I pushed Shane down into a chair that was sitting in the middle of the room and moved to stand right in front of him. I pulled out my machete and held it to his throat.

"What the hell?" Shane shouted in worry and shock

"Oh, good, I have your attention." I said as I leant forward so our faces were only inches apart, "Did you have anything to do with Jeremy's kidnapping?"

"Are you insane?" Shane asked, avoiding the question

"You didn't answer her question, Professor." Damon said from his spot near the door

"To answer your question: No, I'm not insane. But I will do anything to make sure my family is safe." I replied, looking him dead in the eye, "So you should think long and hard before you answer my question."

"I didn't do anything to Jeremy." Shane finally answered

I looked at Shane for a few moments before standing straight and putting away my machete.

"He's all yours." I told Damon as I made my way toward the door

"Where are you going?" Damon questioned as I walked past him

"To look for Jeremy." I stated simply before turning to look at the Professor, "One more thing Shane, for your own sake, you better not be lying."

With that I headed out of the shed and back into the woods.

* * *

I continued to search for Jeremy in the woods as the sun slowly set, getting more and more worried about my cousin with each passing moment. I had to find him, there was no other option, but I couldn't do it alone. I decided that I should make my way back to the clearing again to see if Damon had gotten anything out of Shane or if Rebekah, Elena, and Stefan had by some miracle found Jeremy. When I made it back, the clearing was completely empty and the only thing I heard was coming from the shed. I walked in and saw that Damon was beyond pissed and trying to snap Shane's neck.

"Damon, stop it!" I yelled as I pushed him off of the Professor. As much as I hated it, we needed to keep him alive for Bonnie. Damon glared at me before storming out of the shed. "What the hell did you say to him?" I snapped, knowing Damon would try to kill Shane for no reason

"Your boyfriends a maniac, Audrey." Shane replied, making me roll my eyes. I headed after Damon, only to be stopped by Shane asking, "What, are you just gonna leave me here?"

"Pretty much." I answered, walking out of the shed where I met up with Damon, who had his back to me, "Unfortunately, Shane is the only thing keeping Bonnie safe and the only one who knows where the cure is. So you can't kill him."

"I don't care about her, Audrey." Damon snapped, turning around to face me, "And I definitely don't care about some lame ass cure for vampirism. And you wanna know why? Because I don't want you to be cured."

"That's what all of this is about?" I asked him gently, taking a step forward so there were only a few inches between us, "I don't want to take the cure. The only reason I came was to get it was so I could finally stop Klaus and so Elena could be human again."

"What about the sire bond?" Damon asked cautiously, not willing to believe that what I was telling him was the truth

"I don't care about the sire bond. I've told you before that it hasn't changed how I felt about you." I told him, moving to hold his face in my hands, "I love you, Damon. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that, but nothing is ever going to change that." I brought my lips to his and kissed him deeply for a few moments before wrapping my arms around him, "You don't have to worry about me taking the cure." I pulled back and saw a small smile had formed on his lips, "Come on, let's take a walk."

"Why the hell would we do that?" Damon asked as I grabbed his hand and pulled him into the woods

"Because you can tell me everything Shane told you as we look for Jeremy." I explained as we ventured deeper into the woods

* * *

"Wait, so this guy gets convinced to kill three dozen people by his dead wife so he can raise Silas who's gonna somehow bring them all back?" I asked Damon when he had finished telling me what he had heard from the Professor

"Yep." Damon replied with a nod

"Yet I'm the one that's insane." I mumbled

Damon laughed at this slapped him in the arm. After that we didn't say much as we continued to look for my cousin. Suddenly I felt something sharp stab me in the back, in between my shoulder blades. I groaned in pain as I was hit again not even a second later with the same thing, this time only lower. I felt as if I was going to fall but Damon was by my side in an instant, holding me up.

"You've got to be kidding me." Damon hissed, seeing what was stuck in my back, "Arrows? Seriously?"

"Can you please complain after you take out the arrows?" I asked, feeling more pain the longer the arrow was in. It felt like my insides were on fire so apparently whoever had shot me was kind enough to lace the arrows with vervain, "It think they're covered in vervain."

Damon was about to take out the arrow when someone tackled him to the ground and since he had been holding me up I fell face first into the dirt. I tried to get to my feet as Damon wrestled with are unknown attacker but this proved to be much more difficult with vervain laced arrows in my back. When I finally did get up, Damon had the guy in a chokehold and it seemed like he was gonna kill him until something caught his eye.

"He's one of the Five." Damon said, turning to look at me. The hunter took Damon's distraction as his opportunity and flipped Damon over. I ran at them but before I could get to them I heard a sickening snap as the hunter broke Damon's neck.

I pushed the hunter off of Damon and made my way over to him, much more slowly than usual since the vervain was slowing me down. Before I could get to him he pulled out a gun and aimed it at my head. The last thing I heard was a gunshot before everything went black.

**Author's Note**

**Well, I am not a big fan of this episode since it seemed like a filler but I'm satisfied with this chapter. Anyways, please review. Until next time…**

**Audrey;D**


	15. Down The Rabbit Hole

_**Disclaimer- I do not own the Vampire Diaries. I do, however, own Audrey and anything else you don't recognize.**_

**Chapter Fifteen- Down The Rabbit Hole**

**Audrey's P.O.V**

"Son of a bitch!" I groaned, holding my head in pain as I woke up

I sat up slowly, since I was still laying in the dirt, and looked around to realize that I was all alone and that sun was beginning to rise. Apparently I had been unconscious for a few hours. I tried to remember how I ended up here but the pain in my head was making it difficult to focus. The hand that was resting on my forehead felt wet and I pulled it away to see that it was covered in blood. I put my hand back on my head and winced when I felt the open wound. It felt like something was lodged in my head. I bit back a scream as I pulled out a wooden bullet. The pain in my head quickly subsided as the wound healed itself.

Once I could think clearly, everything came back to me. Damon and I walking, getting hit in the back with arrows, some crazy ass hunter coming out of nowhere, and then getting shot in the head. I looked around once again, this time a lot more worried because the hunter had taken Damon. Only question was why? What the hell would the hunter want with Damon? Why hadn't he just killed us? Not that I was complaining, but it was strange.

I guess those would have to be things I figured out after I got the arrows, that the hunter had been so kind to leave in, out of my back. I brought my hand behind my back in an attempt to grab one of the arrows but I couldn't get to it. Apparently the hunter had decided to saw off the ends of the arrows. I was definitely going to find away to make him pay for this once I found him. I hissed as I peeled off my leather jacket, hoping that I would be able to reach the arrows without it but it didn't make a difference.

Suddenly I heard footsteps coming towards me and I got to my feet as quickly as I could. I pulled out my machete, luckily the hunter hadn't taken that with him as well, and held it out in front of me. I wasn't gonna much good in a fight since there was still vervain running through my veins, so the machete was my best shot. I stood there silently as the footsteps came closer, praying that it was someone I knew.

"Audrey?" A delightfully familiar voice called out as Elena (who had said my name), Stefan, and Rebekah walked into view

"Thank god." I sighed as I put away the machete

"What the hell happened to you?" Rebekah asked, taking in my disheveled appearance

"I'll tell you whatever you want, after someone removes the two arrows that are lodged in my back." I told the trio, turning so my back was to them so they could see, "I warn you, they are covered in vervain."

"I'll do it." I heard Elena say before walking toward me. She didn't giving me any warning before quickly pulling out the arrows and dropping them to the ground

"DAMN IT!" I yelled, unable to control myself like I had with the bullet, then again, the arrows had been much more painful

"Care to explain how you got those?" Stefan asked as I picked up my leather jacket that I had left on the ground. I looked it over and threw it back on the ground when I realized that it had been ruined.

"Damon and I were looking for Jeremy when we got ambushed by some psycho hunter." I explained simply, "Long story short, I ended up with two arrows in my back and a wooden bullet to the head and Damon got a broken neck."

"So where's Damon?" Elena asked, looking around for the absent vampire

"The hunter must have taken him." I replied, "Not sure why though, it doesn't make any sense."

"Well, I guess we can put Damon on the ever growing list of people we need to find." Rebekah said, walking past me, "Along with Jeremy, Bonnie, and Shane."

"Bonnie and Shane are gone too?" I asked the blond as she continued walking, "And where the hell are you going?"

"To the beach so we can make a call." Rebekah answered as Stefan, Elena, and I began to follow her, "We no longer have the professor with us so we need to figure out another way to get to the cure."

"What about finding our friends?" I questioned, thinking that they couldn't seriously be more worried about finding the cure than Bonnie, Jeremy, and Damon.

"Our best shot right now is the cure." Stefan spoke up as we continued out way back to the beach, "If Shane is behind all of this, then that is where he would be taking them."

"Okay, lets just say Shane is the evil mastermind behind all these kidnappings. Sure he'd take Bonnie and Jeremy but there is no way that the hunter that attacked us last night was with him." I told them, knowing that after what Damon had done to Shane last night, there was no way Shane was going to willing bring Damon with him to find the cure, "Shane doesn't want anything to do with Damon, trust me."

"I'm sure Damon will be able to take care of himself, Audrey." Elena said from beside me, "Right now we have to worry about finding Jeremy and Bonnie."

"And what if the hunter kills Damon?" I snapped at my cousin, "Then what?"

"I don't think he would." Stefan replied, "I mean, he had the chance to do it last night but he didn't. He obviously needs Damon for something. He should be safe for now."

"Which brings us back to finding the cure." Rebekah said, making her way back into the conversation, "Find it and possibly find the rest of our marry band of misfits."

I huffed in annoyance, knowing that what they were saying was right. The cure could lead us to Bonnie, Jeremy, and possibly Damon if I was lucky. Didn't mean that I had to like it though. I kept quiet as we made out way back to the beach.

* * *

When we got to the beach I used my phone to call Aurora, who was on Klaus duty along with Caroline, and Elena and I both filled in our friends on what had been happening on the island.

"Tell me you guys aren't serious." Caroline groaned when we had finished

"Wish we weren't." Elena replied, "Shane needs Bonnie to cast a spell on Jeremy's tattoo in order to find the cure, and he managed to sneak them both out from under our noses."

"That professor is pretty crafty, I'll give him that." I added

"We'll where's Damon in all of this?" I heard Aurora asked from the other side of the phone

"Damon and I got jumped by one of the Five and the guy knocked us both unconscious." I explained again, "When I woke up he was gone. Stefan thinks he needs Damon for something."

"I'm so sorry." Caroline apologized, "I wish we were there to help."

"There might actually be something you two can do from home." I told her, "Shane's looking for the cure and we think we can find him. We have pictures of Jeremy's tattoo but we have no way of translating the map."

"Unless you get the Hunter's Sword from Klaus." Aurora said, realizing what I was getting at

"Exactly." Elena confirmed the blonde's assumption

"He'll never give up that sword." I heard Rebekah say to Stefan. I had to admit that I agreed with her but we had to at least try

"Yeah, but if anyone's gonna get him to give it up, it's Caroline." Stefan responded, also having a good point

"He will _never_ give up the sword, not even for Caroline." Rebekah repeated, making it clear that even though Klaus was obsessed with Caroline, her brother would not be helping us in anyway, "He's terrified we'll use the cure against him to make him mortal, and even if he wasn't, he wouldn't want any of us to derive a moment's worth of happiness from being human."

"We don't exactly need his help finding the sword." I interjected, knowing that Caroline and Aurora had also heard what Rebekah and Stefan had been saying, "Klaus is stuck in our house right now so he can't stop you from looking for it. Plus there aren't many places to hind a three foot long piece of metal."

"We'll find it, don't worry." Caroline assured us, "Just email us the photos of Jeremy's tattoo. We'll find the sword and call you back."

"Thank you." Elena said to Caroline and Aurora before hanging up and handing me back my phone. I quickly emailed Aurora the pictures before putting my phone in my pocket. Now all we could do was wait on the beach until they called us back, hopefully with the whereabouts of the cure.

* * *

It didn't take long for Aurora to email us back the pictures of the freshly translated map. Rebekah had been the one to answer the call since Stefan and Elena had been talking a ways away and I had been wandering down the beach in an attempt to clear my head. As soon as Rebekah told us what Aurora had said, I knew something was up. Rebekah was clearly hiding something important, unfortunately there wasn't much I could do to get her to tell me since we weren't friends in the least.

I did my best to put that nagging feeling behind me as I took my phone back from Rebekah and looked down at the make. It seemed that the cure was hidden in some cave at the bottom of a cliff, halfway across the island. Luckily it didn't take too long to find the cliff with the map and our vampire speed.

"What did Caroline say?" I asked Rebekah, slowing down since we were getting close to the cliff

"I don't know. We lost signal." Rebekah answered but I could tell that she was lying, "Come on, this way."

It only took a few more minutes for us to get to the cliff and I was actually shocked by how beautiful the view was. To bad I couldn't actually enjoy it. I pulled out my phone and looked down at the map to see where we had to go next.

"Okay, we just need to get down and go across that lake." I told Rebekah, Elena, and Stefan and I stuffed the phone back in my pocket.

"Fortunately we're vampires so all we have to do is jump." Rebekah added, looking down at the bottom of the cliff, a few hundred feet below us

"Elena and Audrey, you go first." Stefan said, walking up to Rebekah

I eyed the two suspiciously for a moment but realized we didn't have time to argue. I turned to Elena and saw my cousin nervously looking ahead of her.

"You ready?" I questioned her and she slowly nodded as she took a few steps forward so she was now standing at the edge of the cliff. I took her hand reassuringly and counted to three before we both jumped.

We stuck the landing and I swear I saw Elena smile before she turned to look toward the top up the cliff where Rebekah and Stefan were still standing. While Elena was distracted by the two vampires, I looked across the lake to see if I could make out were the cave was. Surprisingly it wasn't that hard to find, really you couldn't miss the opening since it was about ten feet tall and fifteen feet across. As I watched the cave I saw two people making their way toward it, one being pulled along by the other. As they got closer I recognized Damon, who seemed to be tied up, as the one that was being pulled behind the other, who I assumed was the hunter. I turned back to see that Rebekah and Stefan still hadn't made their way down.

"Elena, stay here and wait for Rebekah and Stefan." I told her as I looked back toward the cave in time to see Damon and the nameless hunter enter

"What? Where are you going?" Elena asked but I didn't answer her before running off to the cave

* * *

As I made my way into the cave, I heard Damon and the hunter talking about someone beating them to the punch and I followed their voices farther into the cave.

"I'm gonna kill you, Vaughn." Damon groaned and I heard something snap before he continued, "And then I'm gonna get that damn cure and give it to the girl I love."

"Your attachment to your friends will be the end of you." The hunter, Vaughn apparently, told Damon in a heavy Scottish accent

"Oh honey, you don't know his friends." I said with a smirk as I walked into the part of the cave that Damon and Vaughn were standing in, in the middle of which was a big hole that I assumed was the magic well Shane had been going on about. I noticed that there was rope rigged up to a beam hanging over the well which probably meant that Shane had already been here. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of footsteps coming up behind me. I assumed it was Elena or Stefan but when I turned around I came face to face with Rebekah.

"Or my enemies." Damon added, smirking as he looked at Rebekah and I

* * *

"Are we gonna dance or are we gonna play?" Damon asked as he, Rebekah, and I stood across from Vaughn, who had a gun filled with wooden bullets pointed at us

"You know he can't hurt me, Damon." Rebekah said, not taking her eyes of the hunter, "Not unless he's got the white oak stake."

"Which he doesn't." I spoke up, remembering that I had left it hidden in my tent

"Maybe not, but he's got other toys." Vaughn told her before shooting her three times in the chest

Of course, this only pissed Rebekah off to the point where she charged at him. She grabbed the hunter's neck but, before she could do anything else she, she stumbled backwards. I caught sight of some kind of wooden grenade lodged in Rebekah's chest moments before it denoted, causing Rebekah to turn grey as she fell to the ground. Vaughn then pulled out yet another weapon and aimed it at Damon. Hoping to stop Vaughn, I focused all my attention on him and watched as he went flying back into one of the cave walls. Although, I was a second too late as Vaughn had already shot off the weapon, sending some kind of wire at Damon, which wrapped around his neck and a pole he had backed into. I looked over at Vaughn to make sure he wasn't going anywhere before running over to Damon to help him out.

"Nice seeing you again." I said as I attempted to unwrap the wire from Damon's neck

"Audrey, just go and get the cure." Damon groaned as the wire began to cut his throat

"Please, I'm not going to leave you here." I replied, rolling my eyes at him, "The cure can wait five minutes."

"No, it can't. There is only one dose of the cure and you have to get to it first." Damon told me and I stopped working on the wire to look at him in shock

"Are you serious?" I asked him in disbelief. We had gone through all of this and there was only enough of the cure for one person? This could not be happening right now.

"Aye." I spun around when I heard Vaughn's voice but I didn't have time to react as he grabbed my machete and drove it through my chest, "But I'm afraid you won't be the one getting the cure."

I fell to my knees, the machete still in place, gasping for breath. I was pretty sure Vaughn had hit a lung. I heard Stefan and Elena calling out mine and Damon's name as they made their way toward the cave. Just as they walked in, Vaughn grabbed hold of the rope hanging in the middle of the cave and lowered himself into the well. I pulled out the machete out and let it fall to the ground as Elena ran over to me. She tried to help me to my feet but I just shook my head at her as I caught my breath.

"I'll be fine, Elena." I assured her, batting away her hands as I sat back, "Just go get the cure."

"We're not gonna leave you." She replied and before I had time to say anything Stefan spoke up from where he was helping Damon

"No, _we _aren't." Stefan told her, taking a moment to look her dead in the eye, "You need to go ahead. Well be right behind you."

Elena looked at me hesitantly for a few moments before turning and jumping down into the well. When she was gone, I pushed myself backwards into the cave wall near where Damon was tied up. I leaned against it, breathing heavily as my wound continued to heal slowly. It only took a few minutes for Stefan to untangle the wire around Damon's neck, and as soon as he was free, Damon fell onto the ground right next to me.

"All right, come on." Stefan said, looking down at the two of us, "We have to catch up."

My wound had healed but I was still far too weak to be any help. I looked over at Damon and saw that he seemed to be in even worse condition then I was in.

"We're only gonna slow you down, Stefan." I told him shakily, "There's only one dose and you have to make sure she gets it. Just do what makes her happy."

"Things have changed, Audrey." Stefan said solemnly and I could have sworn that he glanced down at Rebekah, "It's not that easy anymore."

"It is right now." Damon snapped at his younger brother, "Get your ass down the well and help Elena get the damn thing."

With that final push from Damon, Stefan jumped down the well to find Elena. Damon and I continued to sit where we were in silence for a few minutes as we both tried to muster up enough strength to do something other than sitting here uselessly.

* * *

Eventually I made my way over to Rebekah and started to pull the wooden spikes out of her back. As soon as the last spike was out the grey faded and she gasped when she returned to the land of the living.

"You two are still alive?" Rebekah coughed out in surprise as she looked between Damon and I

"Don't sound so surprised." I said, rolling my eyes as I sat back up

"Why didn't you go with them?" The Original asked in a groan as she flipped over onto her back

"We needed a siesta." Damon replied simply from where he was sitting a few feet away

"Yeah, we kinda got our asses handed to us by that hunter." I added angrily, looking down at my machete that was covered in my own blood. That guy pisses me off. I mean, seriously, what kind of douche bag uses someone else's weapon against them? Not cool, at all. "Hunter's curse or not, that guy is not making it off this island alive."

"You should be healed by now, though." Rebekah pointed out. Sure I was healed but I was just drained from everything that had happened in the last twenty four hours, "You guys gave up didn't you."

"We didn't give up, we never wanted the cure in the first place." I told Rebekah and she looked at me in slight shock as I continued, "The only reason I came to this godforsaken island in the first place was make sure that Elena got the cure."

Rebekah opened her mouth to say something but I didn't hear her as someone else had called my name. I slowly got to my feet as I looked to where the unmistakable voice had come from. I continued to stare, knowing that something was up because I should have been able to hear them come into the cave long before they spoke up. _Something is wrong. _That thought kept repeating in my head as I looked at my cousin.

"Jeremy?"

* * *

**Author's Note**

**Yeah, I think that is a good enough place to end it. Not gonna lie, this wasn't my favorite chapter to write. But fret not, I am already working on the next chapter so it shouldn't take to terribly long for it to be up. Please review and until next time…**

**Audrey;D**


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